Inuyasha's Baby
by TouchofPixieDust
Summary: Excerpt from Chapter Twenty: Poor guy had turned green as Inuyasha had described, in great detail, what it meant to be disemboweled.
1. Meeting Inuyasha

Sequel to Kagome's Baby... at last...

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me. The name of the character Yoshiyuki Terada belongs from Cardcaptor Sakura, which also does not belong to me. 

Chapter One: Meeting Inuyasha

"You WILL have her home before midnight." Inuyasha said in a hard voice.

"Uh... sure," he said with a slight roll of his eyes.

Pretty stupid move. Inuyasha had the guy up against the wall with his feet dangling two inches off the floor between heartbeats. Kagome should have stopped him, but she was enjoying it way too much. Besides, if she was strong enough to do that, she would have done it too. Would it be too much for her to fan the flames a bit? Nah. That would just be cruel. Tempting though... very. Last time a date showed up, the poor fellow actually wet himself.

"Let. Me. Repeat. Myself."

"Yes, sir. Midnight. No problem." Repetition turned out to be unnecessary.

His feet slowly touched the floor again. He definitely looked nervous now. His eyes darted to the stairs then to the door. It was entirely possible he was planning to make a break for it. What was his name again? Ryo? Or was that the last guy? Yuki maybe?

"I want your name. Full name, none of this nickname garbage. Your car license number. Your telephone number. And two references."

"What?"

"NOW."

Inuyasha shoved a piece of paper and a pen at..... apparently Yoshiyuki Terada. The handwriting was a little shaky, but still legible. The guy looked completely unnerved when Inuyasha began sniffing him, to memorize his scent. The writing down of the numbers had been Kagome's idea. Even though should anything happen they wouldn't need them, but at least it made the guy THINK that they would use them. In reality, Inuyasha's nose would lead them to him in no time. But it was difficult enough to explain the half demon's peculiarity without telling people about his keen sense of smell.

"I will know if you have touched her you shouldn't have," Inuyasha growled. "And if I find that you have placed one hand in an inappropriate place, I will hunt you down. You do know the meaning of the word disembowel don't you?"

The man gulped. Guess he did.

To his credit, Yoshiyuki did not run away screaming into the night, like the first guy coming to call. He even managed a strained smile when the sound of footsteps finally came down the stairs. She was in her prettiest dress and her hair tucked behind her ear. She really was quite pretty. Kagome was glad she was dating... honest. But it was still a little scary. The world was not a kind and gentle place, and many innocent things turned out to be evil. She was traveling where they could not protect her. ...unless they stalked her and watched from the shadows (... not that they did that... too many times since she started dating).

"Yoshi," she greeted with a smile. Perhaps with a note of surprise in her voice? Surely they hadn't run off so many potential suitors that she was actually surprised to see one. "So good to see you. Are you ready to go?"

The answer, of course, was . But what he really said was "Sure."

Bending to kiss Kagome on the head, then lifting her head up to give a kiss to Inuyasha's cheek, she turned to go.

"Be careful, Mama!" Kagome called. Maybe they should put on their shoes and trail after them after all.

Her mama smiled gently, then firmly shut the door behind her. Inuyasha sat on his haunches and stared at the door menacingly. Kagome sat at his side. Every since they married, Inuyasha went fanatical about the protection of his new family. It didn't get bad until Mama started dating. Each of her dates had to meet Inuyasha first. Grandpa actually insisted on it. In fact, she could hear his slightly maniacal laughter from the kitchen. Kagome pitied her daughter should she ever have one. And they thought Miroku was overprotective of his baby girl? Ha! It was likely their daughter wouldn't date til she was in her 30s at least.

Speaking of which.... it was time.

She hadn't told anyone yet. She could barely wrap her mind around the idea herself. It was a kind of a scary subject. Sure she was thrilled. But... well... how would Inuyasha react? He didn't seem to like being around Miroku and Sango's two kids. He protected them, of course, but almost seemed scared of them. Scared of hurting them, likely. And he still had so many worries about his heritage, would this bother him too? She was certain he wouldn't leave her, but would this be one more burden? One more worry? And she knew SHE wasn't ready. She was scared. And she didn't want to mess up.

"Just tell me already," Inuyasha said gently. His hand gently laying over her own.

Kagome sighed. "Let's go into the living room."

With one last glance at the door, Inuyasha stood up and helped Kagome to her feet.

"Sit," she said. Then regretted it when he crashed to the floor. She cringed. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! I just mean si.. uh, to have a seat on the couch. I'm so so so sorr..."

"Yeah yeah."

They had the opportunity to get rid of the cursed necklace, but Inuyasha surprised her by refusing to have the spell lifted. It was an insurance he had said. For her protection. Without complaint he got up and sat on the couch.

Inuyasha.

Strong. Brave. Faced demons. Monsters. The undead. How many times had he fought on with his stomach sliced open, or having a sword sticking out of him somewhere? Tough hard as nails Inuyasha...

...dropped to a dead faint at two words.

"I'm pregnant."

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Author's Note: This first chapter was originally going to be a short story on its own. But then I got to thinking... and finally decided to tweak it a bit and make it the beginning of the sequel to Kagome's Baby, one of the first fanfiction series I wrote. It isn't necessary to read that story to understand this one... I hope. Though it is entirely possible that I make references to things that have happened.

With luck I won't have tooooo many discrepancies between the two stories, but I'm not swearing to it.

As always, I appreciate your reviews and constructive criticism.


	2. Dear Baby

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

Dear Baby

Dear Baby,

I love you.  


I wasn't really sure how to start my first letter to you. So I figured that I should let you know the most important thing first. I love you very much. And no matter what happens in life, you will always have your mother's love.

Kagome chewed on the end of her pen. She wasn't sure what else she should say in her letter.

Yesterday Inuyasha had helped her clean up one of the rooms that was being used for storage in her family's shrine. They were going to turn it into a nursery. While they were cleaning they ran across an old assignment from school where she had to take care of an electronic baby for a month and keep a journal to record things. Kagome smiled at the name on the folder... Mikomi. Although it had been a pain at the time to write up things, looking back at it filled her with fond memories. Just naming her had been quite the ordeal.  
She wanted her child to have a similar record to one day look back on and see just how much they loved her. At first Inuyasha had rolled his eyes at the idea, after all, didn't she graduate school so she wouldn't have to do anymore homework? But in the end he relented.

In fact, the journal she was using was one that he had chosen. She lost count of how many stores they had gone into to find the perfect book. What they found was leather bound in an old style with a wrap around cord to keep it closed. It was water sealed and nearly indestructible. Of course, they hadn't found one made out of fire rat hide like Inuyasha really wanted, but it would suffice. It wasn't a beautiful or cute baby book, but it would definitely be unique.

At her mama's request, the first thing they did was take a picture of her belly. Of course she wasn't showing, she had groused. The baby was only the size of a peanut. But her stomach seemed to mesmerize Inuyasha, and who could say no to her mother's warm brown eyes. Besides, one day she may like to see the progression. Kagome smiled at the picture on the first page. Inuyasha had 'helped' paste it into place. With the amount of tape and glue he used, there was no way it was coming loose. There was also no way to write anything on the page, so she had started her letter on the second page.

She didn't want to share the fears she had for the baby. She didn't know if she should warn him or her of the dangerous life she was about to embark on. Kagome giggled to herself.... em-bark.... Wisely she decided not the share the joke with Inuyasha.

Sighing she stood up, aware that Inuyasha was now on high alert. The poor guy was going to stress himself into a bundle of ulcers if he went into full protective mode every time she moved. Not to mention that it got on her nerves.

"Just going to the bathroom," she told her antsy spouse.

He jumped to his feet, worried and half feral. "Need me to..."

"No," she hissed. "I don't need any help."

If he was this jumpy in her relatively safe time, she couldn't imagine how much more stressed he'd be in his own time. She wondered if she should set down some ground rules for when they get back. No going absolutely crazy every single time she moved or someone looked at her. Or, heaven forbid, talk to her!

She opened the bathroom door and locked it behind her. Not that locks would keep Inuyasha out if he really wanted in. But he had gotten the hang of respecting the idea of a locked door at least. In front of the mirror Kagome lifted the edge of her shirt so she could see her belly. It looked the same. It was hard imagining that there was a tiny life form in there. She frowned at the memory of Souta referring to it as a parasite. She'd get him later for that. Not so much for making fun of her, but for worrying Inuyasha. He was afraid of this pregnancy as much as he wanted it. He was scared the baby may have claws and may not make a subdued entrance. He had nightmares of the baby clawing its way out. Not that he shared those nightmares in so many words, but she knew. And he was afraid what would happen to the child of a hanyou. His own childhood had scarred him for life.

Would... would people attack her child? She bit her lip. Maybe she shouldn't give Inuyasha such a hard time about being overprotective. Maybe she should start practicing with the bow again. Since Naraku had been defeated, she hadn't had much practice.

"Do you need some water?" he asked through the door. "Some crackers? Lemon lime soda? Lemons?"

Kagome dropped the hem of her shirt back down and smiled at the door. He really could be sweet. She opened her mouth to say no, then the nausea hit again and she was doing exactly what Inuyasha was worried that she was doing.

The door burst off its hinges as Inuyasha decided that locked doors really weren't his thing. Kagome didn't complain as he held her hair back while she threw up, patting her back gently and saying he was sorry over and over again.

Morning sickness.

HA!

Morning, afternoon, evening, didn't matter. She was practically living off of crackers and water. According to her mother she shouldn't be experiencing morning sickness quite so soon. But Kagome could barely recall a time when her life was actually normal. She wondered if she should visit Jinenji's mother to see how different giving birth to a hanyou was to a human child. Maybe she had some tips she could pass along.

"We should take you to the doctor," Inuyasha said nervously. "I think you have hyperemesis gravidarum. The book says six weeks for the sickness. You aren't at six weeks yet. We should take you now."

Kagome spat one last time and flushed. She HATED that book.

"I don't have hyperemesis gravidwhatever, Inuyasha. I'm fine."

"But the excessive vomiting.... you can't eat... you need nutrition Kagome! You'll get sick! Have you weighed today?"

She slapped his hands away when he moved to grab the scale. She was NOT setting foot on that thing again. EVER!!! Or at least for another week. She was worried any weight gain would be from lack of exercise and too many munchies in front of the television set. Inuyasha was very reluctant to let her do anything. There was a week her feet never touched the ground. Though she wasn't complaining about being carried, that was kind of nice actually.

"I'm not going to the doctor, Inuyasha. It just hit early. The book isn't going to cover when the baby is part demon, now is it?"

His ears drooped. "I don't want to lose you, Kagome."

She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. "You won't lose me. You're stuck with me forever."

He planted a kiss on top of her head. "You might want to brush your teeth..."

A hairbrush whacked him on the back of the head.

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Morning sickness was going to kill him.

He couldn't stand Kagome being so sick all the time and not being able to do anything about it. He hated feeling so helpless. Kagome was so certain this was normal. Her mother didn't seem worried and she had given birth to two pups. But this was KAGOME!

The book was supposed to help him understand the changes Kagome was going through and what to expect. Her mother... his mother now, had given it to him to help ease his mind. He was grateful for the audio book, otherwise he would never have understood the strange words on the book. He had been practicing his writing and reading of words for some time now and was getting okay enough at it, but not enough to understand all that.

He smiled at the memory of Kagome catching him writing. He was practicing his letters in the dirt with a stick. They were words from her world. She didn't ask why he was learning, but had helped him anyhow when the others were busy or not paying attention. At first he wasn't sure why he had been so interested in it. Then he realized that Kagome was his life, and he wanted to be able to be a part of her life no matter where she was. So he would learn her words from her world. It had startled him at the time that no matter how the battle with Naraku went, he would follow Kagome wherever she went, and in whatever form he was allowed. He was hers as much as she was his.

When Kagome told him that they were going to be parents he was thrilled. For about two seconds. Then terror set in.

Him? A parent? He couldn't handle Shippo!

He was pretty certain that his mate wasn't going to approve of bonking their child on the head to discipline the pup. What did he know about parenting? He was raised with little to no memory of his father. And his mother died when he was so young! Sure he had seen Sango and Miroku with their two kids, but he hadn't been paying attention to how they were being raised, he was too busy making sure they didn't crawl off of cliffs. What if he messed things up? What if he warped the pup for life and it ended up turning into a deranged lunatic killer??? What if he messed up so bad that Kagome would think she was better off raising the pup alone? Or with that flea bitten wolf!!!!

He growled low.

The wolf would never harm his pup! Of course, Kouga wouldn't be the only threat to his little one. Hanyous were fair target to humans and demons alike. How demon would his pup look? Would it have ears like his or Sesshomaru's? When it got really mad would it turn demon? Would it have claws like his? Would it accidently hurt Kagome? Or would it be more human? Weak, unable to protect itself from those trying to rid the world of impure blood?

Would they have to escape to Kagome's time to be safe? There were fewer demons here. But what if someone found out the pup was different? He had watched shows on the television with Souta about how they experiment on people who are different. Kidnap them and keep them in secret holding facilities then force them to work as super agents.

Was there no place that was safe for his family?

He listened as Kagome rinsed her mouth out with the wash that smelled so strongly of cinnamon. He wasn't crazy about the smell or the taste, but it beat that minty one. Ick. He wondered if the pup would have her strange obsession with being clean.

Quickly he tried to pretend that he wasn't doing his own obsessing and tried to look busy fixing the door. He didn't know why they bothered with the locks on the door. One little push and they just break down. It wouldn't keep anyone out if they wanted in. In fact.... none of the doors were too safe. He would have to find a way to keep the doors extra secure while he was away. It would help protect them when he took Kagome back to the village.

His mate stormed out of the bathroom ready to yell at him for being rude... again. He used his own subduing spell on her (a kiss, he found, was the most powerful spell of all). Then scooped her up and took her downstairs and set her back down at the kitchen table where she had been writing earlier. He would fix her something to eat while she wrote.

"I'm not sure what else to say," she confessed.

He looked at what she wrote and read the words slowly. "Who says you have to write a lot? You say what needs to be said and that's that. You'll write more when it's time to write more."

Kagome smiled at him gratefully and he felt like he had just slayed a monster. She quickly signed Love, Your Mother below the lines she wrote.

He sat beside her and touched the journal.

"Can..." This was uncomfortable. He felt a little stupid for asking. The journal was Kagome's after all. But it was his pup too.... "Can I write, too?"

Her face lit up like a sunrise. He didn't feel so stupid after all. He took the pen from her and wrote his own note to their pup. His writing was slow, but it was steady. He was proud that he didn't break the pen or rip the paper.

Give your mama a break, kid. Stop making her puke.

Please.

Inuyasha

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Author's Note: To clear up any confusion, this chapter takes place after the last chapter of Kagome's Baby.


	3. Meeting the Family

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

Meeting the Family

Dear Baby,

You are going to adore your family, they already adore you. 

You'll hear the term blended family a lot. In a sense, that is what you have. By the time you are old enough to read this, you'll be quite aware of the fact that you come from a very unusual family. On one side you have your grandmama, your uncle Souta, and great-grandpa. On the other side you have a monk named Miroku, Sango the demon slayer, three demons (your brother Shippo, Kirara the firecat, and your uncle Sesshomaru). You also have a cousin named Rin, she's human like the monk and the demon slayer. Sango and Miroku have two children of their own, the twins Suki and Yuki. They will be having another child soon. Though Sesshomaru may be the only one related to you by blood, make no mistake that the others don't love you. We are a family. Some might refer to us as a pack.

I love you always,

Mama.  


How boring, Kagome thought to herself. What was she doing? Giving the baby a lesson on genealogy? Plus, she felt a little funny telling the baby about how the others feel about him or her... when they didn't even know! Not that she didn't want to rush off and tell everyone as soon as she knew. There was a golden eyed stumbling block in her way though. The trick would be convincing her overly protective Inuyasha to let her go. It struck her as funny that she would have to beg to go back to the past rather than stay here. But her lovable fuzzy eared husband was a little paranoid about... well... everything. He was worried about the jump down the well, the magic in the well, and every tiny little possible danger that was waiting on the other side.

"Inuyasha...?"

"No." He didn't look up from the baby book, didn't even take off the headphones as he tried to follow along with the audio book. How many times has he listened to that thing? A dozen? A hundred?

Wait... No?

"I haven't asked you anything yet." She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him, willing him to look at her. It was an impressive glare and it would be a shame if it was wasted. 

He didn't look.

"Anytime you ask for anything you shouldn't be having," Annoyingly he tapped the book as if she had been violating its sacred laws, "You get that tone in your voice. So, no."

She prayed for patience. Didn't really help though... she was still irritated at him.

"I want to go tell the others the good news."

His eyes widened (apparently spreading the news wasn't HIS first though), then narrowed stubbornly. He hated telling her no, and she knew it. "We can't do that, Kagome.... We talked about it. The risks are too big."

Kagome sighed. Then she plastered on a smile and scooted closer to him, resting her head on his shoulder. It wasn't an underhanded ploy to butter him up and sweet talk him into bending to her will. Really. Oh, okay... maybe just a little. She sighed heavily. Ah ha! His attention was now on her, regardless of the fact that it may LOOK like he was still absorbed in the book.

Marriage had changed her hanyou. Or maybe they were still in the 'honeymoon' phase. But he was very intent on making her the happiest wife on earth. She felt a little guilty though. It wasn't as secret as he thought it was that he feared that she would change her mind. He knew that in her world there was such a thing as divorce. And he worried that she would regret her choice. Slowly she sat back up. It wouldn't be right to manipulate Inuyasha into doing what she wanted. She would have to try to (sigh) reason with him.

Sitting back up, it seemed, caused Inuyasha to worry even more. She grimaced. She hadn't meant for it to seem like a withdrawal of love. She'd never do that to him. That was perhaps the worst punishment in the world, especially for someone who still wondered how he could have been "chosen".

Laying her head back on his shoulder she tried to see things from his side. It was something she was trying to be better at. Perhaps they wouldn't have fought so much when they first met had they practiced that a little more.

For Inuyasha, the idea of being a husband, a mate, had been enormous and hard to believe. For months after they said their vows he still tried to convince her that marrying him was a good idea. He kept waiting for the other shoe to drop so to speak. But now... now there was a child. Kagome had always imagined that one day she would be a mother. She had babydolls when she was a little girl, and when Souta had come along it was like she had a real live babydoll. Her mother had even given her a couple of pieces of jewelry that had been handed down for generations that she was instructed to one day give her daughter (or daughter in law), and she'd dream about having a child. And then when she had done the parenting project with the electronic baby, she thought that maybe Inuyasha had imagined it too. But she supposed he didn't really think it was a realistic dream.

Besides the fact that he never thought he'd have his own family, there was the problem with... well... IF he could father a child. Kagome had done many school reports on hybrid animals, and most were sterile. Mules, ligers, zonkeys, and even wolfphins.... though two of the same 'kind' could mate and have a child... that child would most often be sterile because of their DNA. Hybrids are said to be stronger than their respective parents, they are unable to reproduce. So while they had run across other half demons, they had not heard of a half demon having children of their own.

Okay, she could see how having a child might come as a big shock. And... she could see how he wouldn't want to risk it. She didn't want to risk it either.

She blinked rapidly, her heart speeding up.

What if.... Tears sprang to her eyes and she tried to push the thought away. She tried to push away the horrible images her mind created. What if she wouldn't be able to... what if...? No. She wouldn't think of that. Nothing bad was going to happen. Nothing! Her hands flew to her stomach protectively.

"Kagome?"

Her throat had closed up, so only a strangled sound came out. She tried to find a smile so he wouldn't be worried about yet one more thing. But that only sent him into panic mode.

"Feh." The book was forgotten and he ripped the headphones away from his ears. "Okay, we can go. Let's pack." He looked at her and changed his mind. "I'll pack." He crouched low, looking around for an answer... or a place to hide. "We'll just go and come back, forget packing."

"It's too dangerous," she whispered as she looked at her still flat stomach.

"The... the book doesn't mention anything about magic... and the magic hasn't done anything to either of us.... and I'll carry you the whole time. I won't let anything hurt either of you."

"But..."

"Shippo is probably worried," Inuyasha said. "And Sango too. We've never been gone this long. Well, except for the honeymoon... but they knew we'd be gone for that."

Mention of their two week 'vacation' stopped the tears and brought a smile to her lips. She couldn't help it. Only Inuyasha would be able to get them kicked off a ship in the middle of an ocean and get them stranded on possibly the only uncharted demon infested island in her time period. Well, she knew life wasn't going to be boring married to him.

"And Sango would probably like to be able to go for a bath with you again before she can't wobble that far anymore."

Kagome's eyes narrowed and her smile slipped. "Wobble?"

"Because she's..." Inuyasha's mouth snapped shut when he realized he was about to make a huuuuge mistake and dropped his hands from where he had started to mime something round.

"Yesssss?" Kagome hissed.

"We should eat before we go. Want me to make ramen?"

Her stomach rumbled happily at the suggestion. Even though she would have liked to fight over what he had almost said (and how they could possibly switch sides of an argument so fast), her body demanded ramen. But only the bacon soy sauce ramen.

"Inuyasha," she sighed, ignoring her stomach, "We should just stay here."

"You miss them. You miss our home."

It was true. Yes, she missed the people very much. But she also missed their home. A good distance away from the village (but not so far that they couldn't hear a call of distress), they had built a hut of their own in the forest. It was a good size for a hut, especially for the era, and amazingly well hidden. It was close to a hot spring and a small cave entrance along the side of the cliff that no human could possibly reach. They had stayed in the cave while they built their house. After the wedding, Inuyasha had become... well... more possessive than she could have imagined. He didn't trust the other villagers enough for them to stay in the village. She loved her little home. She loved the hot spring. And she even had fond memories of their time in the cave.

It was THEIR home. Kagome looked around her. Though this is where she grew up, it was no longer her home. And suddenly she was very very homesick.

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Going back first seemed like a stupid idea. Way too risky. But once Inuyasha set feet back into the feudal era, he knew he had made the right decision. Immediately he felt a little more relaxed. There were a lot of things he liked about Kagome's time, but he felt more at home here. Quickly he checked to see if Kagome was okay. Seemed okay on the outside...

"You okay?" he asked quietly. Marrying Kagome hadn't kept the rest of them from teasing him every chance they got. He just had to make sure they didn't get any chances.

"I'm FINE, Inuyasha."

"Do you feel sick?"

"No."

"Does your stomach feel funny?"

She opened her mouth to snap at him, possibly to 'sit' him. But then she took a deep breath and let it back out slowly. That was a good sign. When she did that it usually meant she was going to be reasonable. Usually.

"Everything feels fine, Inuyasha."

He hugged her close to him. Cradling her in his arms like this was nice. Really nice. Not very effective for carrying for long distances since he would need the freedom of being able to use his arms to fight and draw his sword. But as long as there were no dangers around he wasn't letting her go. He ignored Kagome's assurances that she could walk on her own and carried her to the village. Too many things could go wrong if she was out of reach.

Inuyasha had expected Shippo to be at the well waiting for them. He shrugged off the sense of... nah, it couldn't be disappointment... the sense of whatever, and headed towards the village. They'd catch up with the others there. As they got closer to the village he started feeling uneasy. There was no way Shippo would not have heard them by now. He wasn't even TRYING to be quiet. And Kagome certainly wasn't trying to be quiet.

They were close to the village when Sango's scream pierced the air.

"That's Sango!" cried Kagome.

After a moment's hesitation, Inuyasha held Kagome tighter and ran towards the village. He couldn't smell any demons around. He couldn't hear any sounds of fighting. But no way was he letting down his guard. He raced into town and skidded to a halt outside of Kaede's hut where Kohaku was sitting with his head in his hands. Inuyasha's arms stayed around Kagome, keeping her near to him. Her nose wasn't keen enough to tell, but there was the scent of blood. Sango's blood.

"Sango!" Kagome cried again as she wriggled out of the hanyou's grasp. He let her go, but stayed close behind.

They reached the hut and found Miroku barring the door, Kohaku had not even glanced at them. Miroku looked a little green. And pale. It was an interesting, and slightly frightening, skin tone.

"She..." he started, then stopped as Sango screamed again.

"She what?" demanded Kagome. "Is she okay?"

Miroku took a deep breath, then went back into the hut.

"Sango's having her baby."

Inuyasha and Kagome looked up on the roof to see Shippo wiping tears from his face.

"But..." Kagome looked at Inuyasha with confusion, then fear. "But it's too early. She's not due 'til next month!"

A premature baby. Inuyasha tried to remember what the book said about them. It would be small, and may have health problems because their organs didn't have time to fully develop. In Kagome's time there were hospitals and doctors and machines that could help the baby survive if it came too early. But this is not Kagome's time.

Kagome held his hand tight in her own, and they walked into the hut together. Silently the walked to where Miroku was.

"Kagome!" snapped Kaede, "Hot water! Clean blankets!" She turned a kinder eye to Miroku, who had obviously been the one to serve as Kaede's assistant before they showed up. He looked thankful (and relieved) that he would not have to leave his spot.

Inuyasha watched as Kagome sprang into action and fulfilled all of Kaede's request. Inuyasha... watched.

Sango looked to be in a lot of pain. And there was blood. A lot of blood. Had he brought Kagome home to watch her best friend and baby die? No. Sango was strong. But the baby... it would be so fragile. And there were no incubators here to keep the infant safe, breathing, and warm. It could have infections, low blood sugar, vision or hearing problems, anemia... there were just so many things that could happen. Things that they were not equipped to handle here. Inuyasha watched Kagome move efficiently, and listened to her calm and soothing words to Sango. Things could be dangerous for the mother too.

Sango screamed in pain once more.

The thought of Kagome going through this pain made him sick. Actually physically sick. He had to sit.

Kaede encouraged Sango to push, and Inuyasha watched Kagome as she watched Sango give birth to a baby boy. Quickly they cleaned up the baby, wrapped him up in a warm blanket, and handed him to Sango.

"Toutoi," she whispered with a smile before passing out.

Miroku was crying. Inuyasha and Kagome left after gathering the bloodied blankets to give him time alone with his exhausted wife and new son. Kohaku peered into the doorway as they left, making sure to keep his eyes averted from what they were carrying. Miroku invited his brother in law in, and quietly Kohaku went to be with his sister.

"He was so small," Kagome said worriedly.

"Is he going to be okay?" asked Shippo, who had appeared behind them.

"His heart was strong," Inuyasha assured them. And it had been. Well, stronger than he had feared it would be. And his lungs seemed to be working just fine. "We'll just have to keep a close eye on them both." He looked around. "Where are the brats?"

"The girls are with Sesshomaru."

Inuyasha and Kagome both dropped what the blankets.

"WHAT?"

"Well, with Rin. And Rin's with Sesshomaru, soooo..."

"WHERE?"

"They took them for a ride on Ah-Un."

"You LET my..." he bit back the word he intended to use (the book said that babies might be able to hear what was going on around them, and Kagome would kill him if the baby came out swearing) "... brother take Sango's kids?"

"Things all kinda happened fast when Sango started leaking," Shippo explained. "Miroku rushed Sango to Kaede, and Sesshomaru happened to be bringing Rin by to visit with Kohaku. Rin offered to take the girls when the screaming started. Don't worry, Kirara went with them."

He didn't like it, but he didn't have much of a choice. If things were different he would have chased after his brother and take the girls from him. But now he had Kagome's condition to be extra careful about. So instead he followed as they went to the river and began washing. They continued to do chores to keep themselves busy. They were able to visit Sango for short periods of time and bring her and Miroku food. Toutoi was small, but he seemed to be in good health. Sango was tired and sleepy, but she too seemed to be well. Inuyasha tried not to think of what might have been. Or, he thought miserably as he looked at his wife, what could still be.

"Let's tell them tomorrow," Kagome said as she started taking the lids off of ramen cups. "I don't want to take the spotlight from today."

"Hmm?"

"I don't want to make the day be about me," she explained, "When it is Toutoi's birthday."

That was fine with him. His preference, actually, was to tell everyone goodbye and they'd see them next year so he could keep Kagome someplace safe where no one and nothing could touch her or the baby. This was going to be a very long nine months.

Miroku joined them for dinner, saying that Sango insisted. He brought his son with him, though Inuyasha thought the kid would be safer inside with Sango. Sango, even though weak and bedridden, could probably protect the kid better now that Miroku had turned to goo. He watched as Miroku made odd noises to his child, he had done the same with his daughters. Then he looked at the baby as if he was the most precious thing in the world. Inuyasha gulped. In a few short months he would be holding his own child. He looked over to Kagome and saw that she had been watching him with a smile on her face. His instinct was to hop into the trees and hide. Instead he smiled back. THEN he hopped up into the tree to hide.

The wind brought a familiar scent to him and he had to hop right on back down.

"Hello, little brother," Sesshomaru said. He took a breath to say something else, then looked at Kagome.

Inuyasha skidded to a halt in front of her, arm raised to protect her.

"I will not hurt your mate," Sesshomaru said impatiently. Then he sniffed again. "You are..."

"Ack!" cried Kagome as she stood up to stop the dog demon from continuing that sentence. "Good to see you," she said quickly. Inuyasha growled as she talked to his brother. "How were Suki and Yuki? Were they good? How is Rin? And that little frog guy?"

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes at Kagome. Kagome turned pleading eyes onto Inuyasha. He sighed. Great. Now he'd have to actually TALK with Sesshomaru.

"Come on," he said irritably.

"You're mate is going to have a child," Sesshomaru stated once Inuyasha stopped a fair distance from where the others would be able to hear. "Yet you wish to hide this fact?"

Was Sesshomaru... angry? Nah, couldn't be.

"Sango just had her baby and Kagome doesn't want to steal away any attention from her with spotted lights."

"I see."

"Do... YOU know anything about hanyou births?"

There was a pause. Then he answered. "This Sesshomaru knows nothing of how your mate will fare when she births your child. Just remember, little brother, that humans are fragile, and we are not."

With that Sesshomaru called for Rin and Jaken (who seemed to appear out of nowhere), and he left.

When Inuyasha got back, Suki was looking at her new baby brother while Kohaku tried to keep Yuki from pulling Kirara's tail. His pack was getting bigger. He looked at Kagome, and she smiled at him in the way that let him know that everything was going to be okay.

And, for the moment, he believed it.

Hey Kid,

Don't be in a rush to get born. I'll keep you and your mama safe 'til its time. Just stay put.

Sango, Miroku, Shippo, and well, pretty much everyone started hugging and crying when we told them you were on the way. Please don't pick up that human habit of crying when you're happy. It's confusing.

And please try to get your mama to eat something other than the bacon soy sauce ramen. It's hard to find. Like chicken or beef instead.

Inuyasha - your father

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Author's Note: To anyone who goes back and reads Kagome's Baby, I'm really sorry about all the spelling and grammatical errors. I don't think they allow me to go in and fix them and repost. I'm sure I make tons of errors in this one too. I am aware this is a huge shortcoming of mine, and I try to fix it as I go along.

Also, there is such a thing as bacon soy sauce ramen. I looked it up.


	4. More Than a Belly

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

More Than A Belly

Dear Baby,

Everyone loves you and can't wait for you to get here. Everyone seems just a bit obsessed with putting their hands on my belly so that they can try to get close to you already.

I love you always,

Mama.  


There was more she wanted to say, but probably wouldn't be the best thing for the baby to know. Like if one more person just walked up and touched her belly they were likely to get their arm clawed off. And not by Inuyasha either.

At first it was wonderful seeing that her belly had actually rounded. She was thrilled to let her mother and Sango touch her belly to see how much the baby inside her was growing. It was sweet how reverently Shippo would talk to her belly and tell it stories. And even Miroku's very closely supervised touching had been charming in a way. And Inuyasha.... Oh wow... seeing the look on his face when they were alone and he didn't have to worry about anyone seeing the look on his face. It was simply indescribable. It would bring tears to her eyes just remembering how very gentle and sweet he was. How blessed she could tell he felt. It was a joy to share this incredible treasure with her friends and family.

Until she noticed people stopped calling her Kagome. When they bothered to talk directly to HER, they always called her Mama. Of course, mostly people talked to her belly instead of her. People stopped looking above her navel.

And total strangers would come up and feel her belly! It took a lot of convincing to keep Inuyasha from taking swipes at every person who did that. At first she was happy to share her good fortune. Then it became annoying and she wished she hadn't made Inuyasha promise to not threaten every person who touched her belly. Then... then it began to feel... well, like she didn't matter anymore. Like she was only a belly. An incubator!

She loved her baby, she did. But it was strange being ignored by everyone. She missed being simply Kagome. She tried to recall if she had done the same thing to Sango when she had been pregnant. Did she talk to Sango, or just to her tummy? Had she made Sango feel like she didn't matter anymore? Great... now she felt guilty as well as depressed.

"What's wrong with you?"

In the past, that question probably would have been asked with a snippy tone or a growl, but now that she was a belly on legs the question was all concern and no irritation. Inuyasha even broke all of his rules regarding showing affection in front of others as he placed his hand on the small of her back and looked her up and down. Then his eyes stopped at her belly.

"Nothing," she snapped.

"Do you need to rest?"

"No."

"Do you need me to carry you?"

"No."

"Are you hungry?"

"Leave me alone!" she growled. "I said I was fine."

She felt bad for lashing out at him. He was being sweet. It wasn't his fault she was feeling grumpy and jealous. She took a deep calming breath and prepared to apologize for snapping at him when Miroku spoke up.

"It is simply the hormones."

THAT earned him a smack from both Kagome and his wife. Without a word, Sango piled their daughters in his arms then she called for Kilala. Kagome didn't think twice before accepting Sango's outstretched arm.

"Do you want to talk?" asked Sango once they were away from the ears of the rest of the group.

"No." Kagome sighed and rubbed her belly affectionately. "Yes. Well, maybe."

She looked at sweet little Toutoi sleeping peacefully, wrapped carefully to Sango's front with a long piece of soft material. He was finally growing. Kaede had been worried that the tiny baby had not been putting on any weight. She wondered how different her own child would look. She wondered if she would be Mom and not Kagome anymore.

Only recently had they begun traveling short distances with the children. Kagome could fight from a distance with her bow, at least for a little while longer, if Inuyasha left any standing long enough for her to shoot. Miroku and Shippo took the children and kept them safe in a protective shield. Sango could unwrap the baby in seconds and leap back into the fray. They couldn't give up their quest, but they couldn't bear to be parted with their babies. Children' changed how they fought. Everyone was more careful, more strategic. They changed the dynamics, but Sango was still Sango. Being a mom didn't make Sango disappear.

"Feeling a little blue?"

Kagome smiled, leaning back and letting her fingers dig into Kilala's fur as they flew low to the ground. "I guess you could say that."

Sango didn't reply, she just smiled back. That was enough for Kagome to sit back up and have her words start spilling out. She talked about how tired she was of feeling ignored and the guilt she felt over feeling jealous. Kilala slowed and landed as Kagome began crying about how awful she felt about the whole thing and how she couldn't see her feet anymore unless she leaned waaaaay over and was waddling and how no one could see past her great big belly. And then she just cried.

Sango let her.

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It was driving him insane. It was a constant battle to keep his demon blood in check. He was sick and tired of everyone touching Kagome! And she wouldn't let him kill them! Or even maim them. Not even just a little! Every day it was just a little more difficult from turning into a raging beast. He couldn't stand it!

And lately Kagome had been alternating between being happy and sad. The book said that there would be hormonal changes and to expect this (thanks to Miroku he now knew to never mention the hormones), but it made him feel helpless. And a little scared.

Then Sango kidnapped her!

He couldn't stand being away from her like this! She had been gone too long! What if she was hurt? What if she was calling for him? Shouldn't she be turning to HIM if she was unhappy? He would have taken her away from this loud mob. Or was she running away from HIM? He itched to run after them and demand answers.

"You're a dumb jerk!"

Inuyasha smirked and decided to keep walking for a bit longer before chasing down his mate. There were times Shippo was handy to have around. He may not be as little as he used to be, but he was still a kid and was usually forgiven his outbursts.

"You made Kagome run away! We're supposed to be sensitive!" He turned his big green eyes to Inuyasha. "Right? You said we had to be sensitive and not mention how fat she's getting or how moody she is."

"You said WHAT?"

Inuyasha cringed. Of course, Kagome WOULD pick just that time to come back.

"SIT!!!"

Oof!

It had been a long time (weeks!) since she last 'sat' him. He hadn't missed it.

"You guys go on ahead," she said with a sweetness that made Inuyasha frantically try to unstick himself from the ground.

She waved at the others until they were out of site. Inuyasha braced himself for a wave of anger... possible a dozen or so more 'sits'. Her eyes were red and puffy. She had been crying. His ears drooped and his heart sank. He hated it when she cried. He didn't care that the stupid book said it was normal. He didn't like it. When he married Kagome he swore he'd make sure she never cried again. Of course, THAT plan didn't exactly work. But he was trying dang it!

"I'm sorry."

Inuyasha shook his head. His hearing must be going. It almost sounded like Kagome was apologizing.

She slowly made her way down to a sitting position. Inuyasha cursed the spell for not letting him up to help her. It hurt. Physically hurt to not be able to help her. Part of him wanted to ask her to take off the necklace, but it wasn't a risk he was willing to take. He wasn't risking not being able to use the well. No one had ever figured out just HOW the magic worked, and he wasn't taking any chances that it might be the beads.

"I've been..." she bit her lip, trying to think of the right words.

Inuyasha didn't like it when she did that either. Luckily her teeth weren't quite sharp enough to break the skin, but it was still possible. The spell let him loose and he sat up quickly and pulled her lip out, keeping it from her dull, but still too sharp, teeth.

"What? Moody? Keh, we know. Normal, forget about it."

Her eyes narrowed. "I wabbend godda day boo.... wed go ob by wip, Iduwada"

Inuyasha let go of her lip.

"I wasn't going to say 'moody', thank you very much."

"Oh.... well... that was the polite word Miroku suggested." Keh, never trust the monk. "How about b..."

"I was GOING to say UPSET," she said through a clenched jaw.

Mentally he ran through suggestions the book may have had to deal with an angry pregnant miko. Yeah... nothing really coming to mind.... His first instinct was to say something snippy and argue, but over time he learned that sometimes it was better to just let Kagome cool off a bit and keep his mouth shut. It worked too. She started calming down!

He was getting pretty good at this marriage thing!

Kagome took a deep breath and started talking again. "I guess I've been a little UPSET lately..." she looked away from him. He hated that. She was his and he was hers. There was nothing to be shy or embarrassed about. "... because... because it feels like all I am is a belly."

Inuyasha looked at her tummy and shrugged. "Probably because it's so big, Kagome."

"SIIIIIIIIT!"

Hey Kid,

I didn't understand your mother when I first met her.  


I don't understand her now.  


Hopefully by the time you're grown I'll some idea what goes on inside that brain of hers.

Until then, just try not to make her mad.  


Your Father (Inuyasha)

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Author's Note: Ta daaaaaa! A chapter! You can put away those pitchforks folks.


	5. It's Alive!

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

It's ALIVE!

Dear Baby,

I wish you could have been there! True, technically you were there, but you weren't able to see the expression on your daddy's face. You remember when I wrote you when I had my first sonogram and he got his first look at you on the screen and he got kicked out for disruptive behavior? Well, this one tops even THAT.

You kicked!

Luckily I started carrying around a camera everywhere I go, because being able to catch the look of wonder on his face is priceless.

Oh, by the way, your daddy still looks over the sonogram pictures that he put in a scrapbook for you every single day. I'm surprised the pages aren't worn out. Please remember that he loves you THAT much when you start dating.

I love you always,

Mama.

There.

Wait for it... wait for it... THERE!

Kagome smiled as Inuyasha kept his ear pressed to her belly. They were alone in an abandoned hut for the evening. Sango had left them earlier on Kilala to be home in time to tuck in her children for the night. Shippo tagged along after being reminded of his promise to watch over the children for awhile so Sango and Miroku could take a stroll and have some time alone together.

Considering how much her belly seemed to have grown, walking all the way back was out of the question, and riding piggyback was becoming uncomfortable. Being carried bridal style made her queasy just thinking about it. In theory it was romantic, in reality…not so much. 

Besides, she was looking forward to spending a little time alone with Inuyasha. In her time they always seemed to have her family around, or her friends coming for visits, and it was difficult to be alone. And in this time they generally spent their time with the others, and Shippo was nearly always there. She understood that their families in both eras missed them when they were gone and wanted to spend time with them, and she loved them all dearly. But there were times that she and Inuyasha wanted to spend with just them.

Gently she stroked Inuyasha's head as he lay next to her.

She wasn't sure what she expected him to react like at feeling their baby kick for the first time. But it wasn't this. It wasn't this quiet stillness. It would have worried her if she hadn't seen how warm his eyes her. Melted gold.

She didn't think it was possibly to love anyone more. Yes, there were things about him that sometimes drove her insane. But she loved him, even his temper. And moments like these... well, it was surprising she simply wasn't a puddle of goo. Just imagine... he loved her back. And even though there were things that scared him silly, scared both of them to be honest, he adored his child. Treasured them both. Because he was hard wired to act like a pack leader when they were all together he didn't often show his soft side. Instead of hurting her feelings like it used to when they were a little younger, she now chose to focus on those moments when he let down his guard. Sometimes it may just be the softening of his eyes while they traveled, or a proud smirk when she hit her mark with an arrow, or even just an extra high jump so he could have even just a moment of having her to himself.

She lived for those moments.

Inuyasha looked up from his spot on her belly and smiled warmly at her. Then he scooted up higher to embrace her, though keeping his hand on her belly. Every kick seemed to make him breathless. It tickled her. She hid her face against his neck to hide her grin. She didn't want him to think she was laughing at him.

"Does it hurt?" he whispered.

Kagome tilted her head up and smiled at him warmly. The concern in his voice was touching. "No. It just feels... odd..."

"Like... like aliens?" he asked nervously.

Kagome laughed and swatted at him half-heartedly. "No, not like aliens... probably... You need to stop watching all those science fiction movies with Souta." She didn't really mean that. After all, it was adorable watching her little brother and Inuyasha watch movies together. "It feels like... well, sometimes it is like a tickling. Or like something is tumbling in there. Teeny tiny little kicks. Considering who the father is, it wouldn't surprise me if the kid is practicing fighting techniques. Maybe some elbow jabs and punches."

"Kicks? Jabs? Punches? Are you in pain?"

"Does it hurt when I do this?" She flicked her finger at his nose and gave him a light thump.

He scoffed and wrinkled his nose at her, "Don't be an idiot."

Inuyasha leaned towards her and she felt her heart race. For a moment she wondered if kissing him would always make her heart race. Then he tensed and started growling. Well, now. That was new.

The growling intensified and Inuyasha (disappointingly) slowly drew away from her and crouched over her legs, facing the door. She hit the floor in frustration as she realized they were no longer alone. Couldn't demons attack later? Like in an hour or two or something? Why do they always seem to interrupt at the worst possible times? It's like they time it!

"Kagome!"

Kouga? You're kidding. Now? Kagome was tempted to grab her bow.

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"Stay away from them," snarled Inuyasha. His voice was barely distinguishable it was so rough and gravely. He could feel his demon blood burning in his veins. Instincts told him to kill anyone who came close to his mate and pup. He was inclined to go with his instincts. 

"I thought I smelled something nasty," Kouga said as he leaned against a tree. "Figures her guard dog would be close by." 

"Stay away from Kagome." 

Kouga bristled visibly and began to stalk forward, causing Inuyasha's blood pressure to rise. He unsheathed his sword, and moved to fill the doorway of the hut. Hiding Kagome from the wolf demon's sight relieved some of the pressure building behind his eyes, but not enough for him to relax his guard. His sword glowed with energy, and he was aching to use it.

The wolf put up his hands and stopped as Inuyasha's growling turned into a roar. 

"I was just coming to pay my respects, half breed."

"Half breed?" The words had always stung him a little, but now they sent him over the edge into pure rage. "Is that what you'll call MY CHILD?" 

He barely heard Kagome squeak behind him.

"Uh... hey... I didn't mean... not the baby... I mean after all, any child of Kagome's is... uh..." 

Inuyasha swung his sword and roared again. No one would insult his child. No one would call his child a half breed. No one was allowed to hurt Kagome or his pup. EVER! 

He didn't recall charging at the wolf demon, exactly. Even without the shards the wolf was fast, and he barely missed getting sliced in half. Inuyasha's momentum carried him forward. Using a tree to spring off of, the dog demon flew at Kouga once again. This time the sword caught the edge of the wolf's arm. Flexing his fingers, Inuyasha dug his claws into the dirt to slow down enough to turn and charge once more.

"Inuyasha! Stop!"

His ear twitched in his mate's direction, but he didn't take his eyes off of the interloper. He didn't dare. He couldn't let anything hurt his family. 

He snarled as he heard the word 'half-breed' echo in his head. 

"Please stop, Inuyasha!" 

Muscles bunched as he prepared to launch himself at the wolf demon again. This time he would not miss. Bones made a crunching sound as his fist connected with the demon's face. The kick he received to his stomach was worth it.

He growled, words escaping him. He would have to show this demon who was dealing with. Make it so he'd never even THINK of coming near his family again! The sword was too cumbersome for what his instincts were telling him to do, so he dropped it. Just as he running to make another leap at the enemy he heard his mate scream.

"SIT!"

"Oof!" The air knocked out of his lungs, and the red haze of his vision began to clear. "Kagome!"

He watched angrily as Kagome mumbled something about dealing with his anger issues later, then proceeded to ignore him and began talking cheerfully with Kouga. He did notice with satisfaction that they stayed at least an arm's length away. The wolf demon made no attempt to touch her. Irritably he tugged at the spell trying to sit up.

"How is Ayame?" Kagome asked.

"Oh, she and the cubs are fine. They keep her busy. She wanted me to ask you how you and the mutt there are doing. She's right beyond those trees if you want to say hi."

"How did you know I was there!" called out an angry female voice. For the first time since the wolf showed up, Inuyasha smiled. With Ayame around, Kouga was too afraid to step out of line. No wonder he didn't try to take Kagome's hand if he knew his own mate was skulking about. He has seen the she-wolf mad before, and he wouldn't want to be on the wrong side of her temper. 

Kouga all but rolled his eyes. "I always know when you are near." 

Kagome made a cooing sound that made Inuyasha flex his fists. The spell freed him and he quickly put himself between Kagome and Kouga. Ayame's face had gone all soft too at the stupid wolf's words. He didn't get it. 

"The baby kicked!" Kagome announced as her hands flew to her belly. 

Ayame asked for permission to feel, and Kagome nodded. The women giggled together. When Kouga's hand reached out, both Inuyasha and Ayame struck at the same time. The two simultaneous punches sent the wolf demon over the trees. He eventually came back rubbing his jaw. Inuyasha stood between him and the girls, but allowed Ayame and Kagome to chat together. Though he kept a very watchful eye on the red-haired wolf demon. He had not forgotten that she had once attacked Kagome years ago.

"I hope you have a girl," Kouga said fondly as the two wolves turned to leave. "Then we could arrange a marriage between her and our son."

"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" Inuyasha screamed as he raised his sword over his head threateningly. 

Sadly, everyone ignored him.

Just as he was about to storm after that flea bitten wolf to make him take back such a horrible idea, Kagome made a gasping sound. He turned around and saw her hands on her belly. She looked up at him and smiled so lovingly that he thought his heart just may burst. It was surprising that he wasn't a puddle of melted goo at her feet. He went to her and put one hand on her stomach and held her with the other.

His family.

His.

The baby kicked and Kagome giggled. Then she leaned forward. He wondered if her kiss would always make his heart race. He was pretty sure the answer was yes. 

Hey Kid,

I know you're probably not very comfortable all squashed up in there... but try not to kick your mama so hard. Okay?

Oh, and never trust a wolf. 

Your Dad (Inuyasha)

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Author's Note:

I deleted a rather long rant about if you're going to call me names for misspelling, then don't misspell the insult. But I figured that there are better ways to spend my time. And no sense wasting everyone else's time.

I do appreciate your constructive reviews and comments, though.

Yes, there is a bunch of time skipping going on. More time skipping in the future, too. Hope you all stay tuned for the next chapter! 


	6. Mama Vs Inuyasha

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

Mama Vs Inuyasha

Dear Baby,

You are a very special baby, and will grow up to be a very special person. You are a child not only of a half demon and a miko, but also a child of two worlds. Yeah, it can get kind of complicated. But don't worry, we will tell you the whole story of how we were able to cross time and meet. Technically I crossed time first and met him, but that is a long story.  


Most people don't really have to think too much about where their babies will be born. Generally it is the hospital where the doctor they had been seeing sends them. Though some choose to give birth at home with a midwife instead. And there is this really interesting underwater birth thing I heard about. Your father and I have to decide between a hospital and... a midwife of sorts. A miko actually. Kaede. By the time you read this you will know just who Kaede is and why she is important to our family.  


But we also have to decide WHEN to have you. No, not scheduling a birth (Though I would appreciate it if you didn't decide to be born in the middle of the night or the wee hours of the morning. Try for late afternoon, sweetie.). Do we have you in the time period I was born in, or the one your father was?

I'm sure that we will be happy no matter where or when we choose.  


I love you always,

Mama.

"No."

"Be reasonable, Inuyasha."

"NO."

"You must listen to reason!" 

Inuyasha growled. "I AM reasonable, Mrs. Kagome's Mama! The answer is no!" 

Usually gentle hands slammed down on the table, making Kagome jump and spilling some of her hot tea on the table. Inuyasha glanced at her briefly, assured himself that the liquid hadn't touched her, then went back to glaring at her mother. She tried to keep from smiling at him for his concern. But the middle of a fight was not the time to start going all gooey. Besides, this was serious. This was going to affect the rest of their lives. And she was being forced to make a horrible decision. Her head started aching and she lost her appetite… which was pretty amazing since these days she was always voraciously hungry. She pushed away the plate of cookies her mother had set before her only moments before the discussion started. Of course, it hadn't taken long for the discussion to turn into arguing.

"She MUST have the baby here!"

"She's having the kid in the village!"

"She'll be in pain! She needs a doctor!"

"I trust Kaede!"

The growl of frustration didn't come from the dog demon. Kagome looked at her mother in surprise. She had never seen her this frustrated and angry before. The only time she had been anything but sweet and serene was just after her father died. Even then it wasn't anything like this! It was like watching one of those wildlife shows where the mama bear is defending her cubs. It was, well, a little scary actually.

"The baby will be safe here!"

This time it was Inuyasha who growled. "I can keep the pup safe!"

Mama clenched her jaw, closed her eyes, and fisted her hands. It was a familiar stance. It was like looking in a mirror actually. It was how she tried to keep her temper from getting away from her and saying something (or doing something) that she might regret. Who knew that she got that from her mother! When she opened her eyes, her mother forced a smile onto her face and hid her hands under the table.

"I know that you are capable of keeping the baby safe," her mother said with her familiar calm. "But there are demons in your era." 

"You got a problem with demons?" Inuyasha visibly bristled. Ouch. This wasn't going to be good. "My father was a demon. Shippo is a demon. Kirara is a demon. You got a problem with the demon blood in my veins? The same blood that runs through the baby's blood?" 

"Mama isn't saying that demons are..." Kagome stopped talking for a moment, then looked at her mother doubtfully. "You aren't saying all demons are bad are you?" she asked.

Her mother shook her head. "Of course not, Kagome!" She blew out a breath, got up, and poured herself a cup of tea and topped off Kagome's cup. Then she inhaled slowly and looked across the table at them with a serious expression. "I understand that there are good demons and bad demons, just as there are good people and bad people. But the demons in your era are more dangerous than the people here."

"Kidnappers and murderers live in our era, Mama," Kagome reminded her as she blew on her hot tea before taking a sip.

"You have demons that breathe fire and eat people." 

"Guns are in our era! Anyone can get one!"

"Demons who breathe fire, Kagome! And eat people."

Kagome shook her finger at her mother. "You can't use the same example twice just by rearranging the words!"

Her mother gave her a real smile that time. Small, but real. For a moment her eyes were warm and soft once more. But only for a moment. With hardened eyes she turned to Inuyasha and gave him her full attention. Then she started playing dirty. 

"Have you given any thought to Kagome's safety?"

"What?" exclaimed Kagome and Inuyasha simultaneously. Inuyasha added a few swear words. Somewhere in there could be heard the words "keep Kagome safe" and "rip out the guts of anyone who tries to hurt her" and some other vague threats. None Kagome hadn't heard before, but her mother probably hadn't. Turns out Kagome didn't have to be worried how her mother would take the outburst. The woman was looking downright smug.

"Do you know how many women died in childbirth in the feudal era?"

"MOTHER!"

Ignoring Kagome's cry of protest, the older woman continued. "And what if something were to go wrong with the birth? You don't have the medical technology available to keep a baby alive if it comes too early or there are complications! Kagome came too early. There was so much blood... blood everywhere. We barely got to the hospital in time. I almost lost Kagome when she was born! She was barely bigger than your hand... I don't want to lose my grandbaby because there was no one there to put her in an incubator and keep her lungs working for her!"

"Mama..." Her tone was softer this time. Inuyasha looked horrified. Whether or not it was from the slightly hysterical tirade or from the tears running down her mother's cheeks, she wasn't sure. "Mama... I'm doing fine. The baby is going to be fine."

"You don't know that..."

Kagome stood up and walked around the table to hug her mother. "The baby is growing healthy and strong. You were there when the doctor said so. I'm doing fine too. We're both fine."

Her mother whispered something, but she didn't quite catch it. "Hmmm?"

Her mother pulled back a little way, looking first at her, then Inuyasha. "What if the baby can't cross time? Will you stay on the other side of the well? Will you keep me from ever seeing my grandbaby? I... I couldn't stand that."

What... what if the baby couldn't cross time? The thought hadn't really occurred to her before. Would she actually have to choose one time over another? What if she got a charm like the one for Inuyasha for the baby? Would that work? Or would she really have to leave her family forever? Would she have to decide where and when to live? She had been so accustomed to being able to be in both times that she never really thought about having to give one of them up.

There was no easy answer. 

In the present she had her mother, brother, and grandfather. Not to mention her friends. Grocery stores. Bubble baths. Cheeseburgers and fries. There were doctors with antibiotics and cures to diseases. What if something did go wrong in the birth? What if her child never got to go to school? What kind of education would he or she have living in Inuyasha's era? And... and her mother would never get to hold her grandchild. Their family was so small already. Could she really leave her family forever?

In the past she had Sango, Miroku, Kaede, Kirara, Kouga, Ayame... and Shippo. How could she possibly leave Shippo? In the past living conditions for a hanyou may not be ideal, but at least no one would think he was... an oddity. She may joke that he and Souta watch too much science fiction... but what if scientists really did get a hold of him, and their baby? Or what if the tabloids got wind of there being demons? Would they have to live their lives in hiding?

With an aching heart she held her mother even as she knew what her answer was going to be.

They would live in Inuyasha's time. 

She couldn't risk his safety. 

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"Let's get out of here, Inuyasha."

He let her take his hand and followed her silently to the well. Kagome had been unusually silent following the fight. She tried to hide it, but wasn't very successful. Her lip trembled and she paused at the door of the well house.

"Can… can we go in for a couple minutes? I… forgot something."

"Keh."

She hadn't forgotten anything. Heck, that hadn't brought enough TO forget! But he followed her back into the house anyhow. He watched as she walked up the stairs, then he followed her up to the nursery, the room that they had cleared out themselves. She went inside and closed the door. He stayed in the hall, a little afraid of going in after her. It was easy to tell that she was on the brink of tears. Her mother was in her own room, already crying.

Tears.

How he hated tears.

Listening to them both crying was literally painful. He flattened his ears to his skull in hopes of drowning out the sound a little.

But the sinking feeling in his heart was getting worse. He hadn't thought about the pup not being able to use the well. He had just assumed that it would be possible, since they both could. Though he was still fuzzy on how that was possible.

He looked around the house and felt like the walls were closing in on him. As quietly as he could he slipped out the front door and jumped into a tree nearest to the window of the room Kagome was in. The pup's room. The nursery. 

They had worked so hard on that nursery. They had cleared the room of rubbish and scrubbed the walls and floor. He had even helped Kagome's mama to paint it. Kagome had used these things called stencils to add more paint to the walls after it was dry. She had painted trees. It was supposed to have reminded him of his forest. Kagome wasn't a great artist, but he still loved those trees she painted on the walls. Even the carpet stuff on the floor had been replaced to be green, like grass. His mate had been trying to bring a bit of his forest here.

But could he really live in the future? How would he provide for his family? He had no skills that would help him earn the money he would need in this time period. There were no demons to fight. Souta had joked that he could be a crime fighter, but... could someone really be a crime fighter and be able to pay for a house and groceries?

Kagome had given him the speech so many times about how school was important to get a good job to make money to support herself. But he had no schoolin'. He couldn't take care of Kagome in this time. Or the pup.

And to live in such tiny places all the time! He was used to the open forest. He slept in trees for most of his life! Sure he liked being in Kagome's time... for awhile. But he would be driven insane living here for long. Usually only a couple of days were all he could take before he was itching to get back to the other side of the well.

He heard Kagome sniffle.

His mother had died when he was so young. How could he ask Kagome to leave her mother... her family? But, how could he stand living in such tiny boxes?

Kagome...

He remembered when Sango gave birth. He remembered how much pain she was in, and how much blood there was. He remembered how terrified Miroku had been that Sango and the babies wouldn't make it. Inuyasha felt sick. He couldn't survive if Kagome died in childbirth.

His heart felt tight as he looked through the window at Kagome and the forest she painted, and he said goodbye to his own forest.

They would live in Kagome's time.

He couldn't risk her safety.

Hey Kid,

Don't you dare hurt your mama when you come out!

I mean it.

Just try to be careful. Okay?  


Your Pop (Inuyasha)

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Author's Note:

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. Some of you really know how to encourage a person, so thank you.

For all those who want to know if the baby will be a boy or a girl... well... you might have to wait a chapter or two longer. If I told I'd just spoil the surprise! And don't we all just love surprises?

In my head (and a sketchy outline on the computer) there is a story behind how Ayame and Kouga ended up together. If there is interest in it I will work on it once the current stories are finished, or closer to finished. If not, then I'll keep it in my pile of stories to get around to one day. 


	7. Where Have My Feet Gone?

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

Where Have My Feet Gone?

Dear Baby,

Your mama has blown up to the size of a hot air balloon.  


I love you always,

Mama.

"I'm uuuugly!"

"You are still quite beautiful, lady Kagome."

"What do you mean she's beautiful? You keep your eyes on your own mate, monk!" 

Kagome sniffed, then started wailing.

"Whaaaaat?"

"You think I'm ugly!"

"WHAT?"

Kagome pointed a finger in Miroku's direction as she screamed at him. "You told him I'm ugly!"

"What? I did not!"

"YOU DIIIiiiiiiiid!" Kagome's scream turned into the sniffles. "You all think I'm ugly now!"

"You are not! You're beautiful, Kagome. Tell her she's beautiful, monk!"

There was no answer. Kagome looked back and saw Sango waving goodbye to her from Kirara's back as the firecat took flight. Apparently Miroku and family thought it best to take the shorter route back to Kaede's. Great, she had driven her friends away with her bad temper. She would have plopped down on the ground in frustration, but she was too big to be plopping anywhere. The thought made tears well up in her eyes again. A hand landed gently on her shoulder, and she looked into concerned golden eyes.

"You ok?" he asked nervously.

"I'm fat!" she wailed, then tried to hug him, only to find that her arms wouldn't quite reach around him with her belly in the way. This only made the wail increase in pitch and volume. "And I'm uuuugly!"

Quickly Inuyasha moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her from the back, holding her close. "You are beautiful," he whispered in her ear before nuzzling her shoulder. "And you are carrying our baby. There is nothing ugly about that."

Kagome sniffled again, then wiped at her eyes. "I've outgrown all my clothes… and I haven't seen my feet in forever," she complained.

"They are still there," he assured her.

"And I haven't been able to shave my legs or anything. I look like a gorilla!"

"What?"

"And I waddle!"

"That's because you're..." he paused. Then changed his mind about what he was going to say. "You don't waddle. And you don't look like a gorilla. If you tell me how, I'll shave your stupid legs for you if it's that big of a deal."

Kagome stopped crying (thank the stars above) and looked up at him with star struck eyes. He was her hero. "You will?"

"Uh... sure."

"And paint my toenails?"

"Kagomeeeeee... that stuff smells!"

Her eyes welled up in tears again.

He caved, albeit grumpily. "Fine."

"And we'll have strawberry scented bubbles for the bath?"

"Sure, whatever."

She snuggled into his shoulder and his mind went a little blank.

"Will you get some yummy strawberries too?"

"Huh? Aren't they out of season?" he glanced at her quivering lip then cringed. "Um, yeah, I'll get some strawberries too. No problem." Surely somewhere or somewhen there must be strawberries available. Maybe a trip to one of those grocery stores in the future…

"And we'll pick out a place to build our cottage to raise our baby along the way."

"We ca... what?" He pulled back a little bit from his mate. He narrowed his eyes at her, slightly suspicious. "We talked about this, Kagome. We're going to your time to have the baby. It's safer."

She frowned at him. "My mother was just a little over protective, Inuyasha. She didn't really mean it. I'd rather be surrounded by friends and family when I have the baby, not in some cold impersonal place like a hospital. Ok, maybe not while I'm actually having the baby. I want our baby to be surrounded by love the moment he or she comes into this world."

It was Inuyasha's turn to frown. "You don't want to have it in your time because you think that people will think the baby is a freak if there are ears on top of the head."

SHE BIT HIM! She actually bit him!

"You bit me!"

"SIT!"

For the first time in quite some time, Inuyasha hit the ground. He hadn't really missed that particular pull of magic.

"Don't you dare say that to me!" she yelled down at him. "I love your ears! And if our baby has your ears I will squeal like a giddy school girl! You hear me?"

"Kagome... be reasonable..." The magic wasn't budging.

"SIT!" She took a breath, and he prepared himself for the following three sits. He recalled a bit late when the book had said about mood swings. She took another deep breath and he braced himself for some more sits. But instead she got a sort of a strangled look and she gasped.

"I...Inuyasha?" she said in a small voice. Then she grabbed her stomach and fell to her knees.

"KAGOME!"

The scent of blood had his adrenaline pumping, but the magic of the rosary still had him trapped. He screamed in frustration as the magic kept him bound to the ground as his mate screamed in pain.

"It's too early," she panted as she leaned against a tree for support. She looked at Inuyasha in terror. "Inuyasha…. "

He watched helplessly as Kagome began to bleed and cry. With a fierce roar he managed to break free of the spell and he scooped Kagome up in his arms just as her knees buckled and she passed out. No no no no no no no. Gods no!

He would NOT lose Kagome.

He couldn't lose her.

The forest went by in a blur. His feet flew past Kaede's village and took them farther. On the race towards the well he remembered Kagome's mother's story about when nearly lost Kagome. Images of tiny claws ripping at his mate's stomach flashed in his mind. He had claws as a baby hadn't he?

Why hadn't he turned human for her? Why had he been so selfish and put her in danger like this? Would having a partial demon baby kill her? Hadn't his own mother nearly died giving birth to him? She never fully recovered. What kind of life had he doomed Kagome to? If she... no. No. No thinking that. Never think THAT.

_Please don't take her away from me,_ he begged whoever may have been listening. _ I can't live without her._

Inuyasha leapt into the well and slowed down just long enough yell for her mother as he raced through the well house doors and past the shrine. He barely got a glimpse of the frightened woman opening the door as he ran at full speed to the hospital. Luckily he had been there often enough for checkups with Kagome that he didn't have to waste time asking anyone directions.

Humans in white and green clothing took his mate from his arms... but only after the doctor he recognized showed up. He had to let her go so they could save her. He knew that. But it didn't make letting them take her any easier.

The pain in his soul was ripping him apart. He roared her name in anguish.

Please Kid,

You and your mama need to survive. You have to.  


Your Dad (Inuyasha)

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Author's Note:

Too evil?


	8. Inuyasha's Baby

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

Inuyasha's Baby

My Darling Angel,

You are the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. You have your mother's lovely eyes and father's unique hair. The combination of your blue grey eyes (your grandfather's eyes were just that stormy shade too) and the shock of silky soft silver makes you the most adorable little baby in the world! Holding you in my arms is one of the most wondrous things I have ever experienced in my life.  


I love you so much!

Your adoring grandma  


"She's beautiful, Inuyasha."

The dog demon looked at his daughter and felt his heart expand. He was being flooded with emotions. Love. Pride. Fear. Anger. Worry. Terror. And more love. He felt like laughing, crying, roaring, and crowing (which was a first for him). 

Looking at her was like looking at a miracle. She was a part of him and a part of Kagome. Already she had him wrapped around her tiny little fingers. He would do anything for her. She was his little girl. His daughter. He didn't have the words to describe the love that was filling his chest. He made her! HIM! His whole life he had thought he was worthless. But then Kagome came into his life. And look at what an incredible creation they made together. He was a part of bringing this precious creature into the world. But what if he messed this up? What if he was a lousy father? What if he was such a lousy father that he warped her for life? And she was so delicate looking! What if he dropped her and broke her? He was nearly paralyzed with fear when he first held her.

The baby yawned, then opened her beautiful eyes. Inuyasha's heart clenched. Kagome's eyes.

Kagome...

Joy turned quickly to anguish. Inuyasha hadn't been able to be there to hold her hand while she gave birth like they had wanted. He hadn't even been allowed in the room with her. Instead he was forced to wait in with her family, nervously pacing, unable to be still. Not knowing if Kagome or the baby had survived. After hours of torture the doctor had come out to say that he had a baby girl, but there had been complications. The child had been born with a severe deformity and the mother was still in danger. The doctor's look of sadness and regret only made Inuyasha furious. They were keeping him from his mate now? When she needed him the most? It took a whole lot of gentle coaxing from Kagome's mother to keep him from storming through the doors in the hospital. 

The deformity, as it turned out, happened to be having no ears. Well, no ears that were visible on the side of her tiny little head where they were supposed to be on a human child. Instead there were openings on the top of her head with extra skin flaps. Inuyasha and Kagome's mama were adamant that they don't touch those little ear flaps when they offered to have them surgically removed. They would become ears like his in just a few weeks, but they didn't need to know that.

"You'll have to try to take her to the past as soon as possible," his mother in law whispered to him as she cooed to her grandbaby, blinking back tears. She spared a moment to glare at the doctors on the other side of the glass who were surely talking about them. "I can't believe they were going to try to remove her adorable little ears!" 

"I'm not leaving without Kagome."

Her sniffled and wiped her eyes with the back of her hand before she pressed a kiss to the baby's head. "You heard what the doctor said, Inuyasha. Kagome..."

"I. AIN'T. LEAVING. HER." 

"I know this is hard, Inuyasha. I do." She placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "But Kagome would want you to take the baby back to the past." 

"No." Inuyasha flexed his claws. "I will not leave my mate." 

"The damage was too much. She may not..." 

"She WILL be fine."

He held his arms out and silently demanded his pup. Reluctantly she passed the little bundle to him. His daughter. His child. His and Kagome's. The pup had been born strong. Too strong. The doctors didn't know why Kagome had tears inside her, but he knew they were from the tiny claws his daughter was growing. A demon's body was equipped to give birth to babies with sharp claws. A human's was not. Kagome's... was not. She had lost a lot of blood. They said she'd never have another child... that they might have to... it was hard to think about... to remove part of Kagome from the inside. It was all so horrific that Inuyasha hadn't been able to fully comprehend.

But no one was taking anything out of his mate. 

"She's already showing fangs," Kagome's mother whispered worriedly. "You must take her out of here. Quickly."

"I can't leave Kagome."

"I'll stay with Kagome. You take the baby where it is safe. Try the well. Please! Maybe it will work." 

How could he even think of leaving Kagome in this place? 

But her mother was right. He swore under his breath. The doctors were talking. They wanted to run more of those tests. Take more of the pup's blood, stick her in a machine that would take pictures of her insides. And THAT just wasn't going to happen! He had hoped that the pup would be more human, like her mother. After all, it made sense that she would be more human than demon, since she would only be a quarter demon. Inuyasha had a moment of feeling absurdly proud that his daughter took after him. Then he was nearly swamped with grief over the pain Kagome had gone through. 

Yes. He would take their pup to the well. It had to work. Then he would come back for Kagome tonight. He'd take her home. Surely Kaede would have some idea of how to heal such wounds. Or... or... or maybe Sesshomaru would know. His own mother had survived... Inuyasha cringed. Sure she had survived, but she had never fully recovered. But Kagome was made of stronger stuff. She would be fine. She would. 

"I'll be back after dark," he told her. "Have her stuff ready to go." His chest tightened at the thought of leaving her hurt and fighting for her life. But the pup... He could do this. He could save them both. 

Kagome's mother bit her lip and nodded in agreement. Then she brushed another kiss to her granddaughter's head. "Take the band from Kagome's wrist," she told him quietly with her face turned from the window. "The baby has a matching one. I'll distract them while you take the baby." 

He gently sliced the bracelet from Kagome's wrist. Then took the clipboard with his mate's information and tucked it into his robes when her mother nodded to them. After giving Inuyasha a warm smile, she wailed loudly and threw herself to the ground. 

It was so startling that Inuyasha froze. It took her waving a hand at him when the doors flew open for him to understand. 

Inuyasha backed into the tiny bathroom, letting the door slide shut as his mother in law started wailing louder. All it took was standing on the toilet and one hard shove against one of the large tiles on the ceiling and he had his escape. Inuyasha leapt up into the hole it made and replaced the tile. He saw humans doing something similar on one of the movies that he sometimes watched with Souta. They didn't mention how smelly it was though. When he got above an empty room he removed another tile and dropped down. He made sure to replace the tile again. Sometimes people in the movies didn't do that and got caught.

His daughter made a soft cooing sound as he opened the window in the room. At least she wasn't crying. 

"We're going for a little ride," he told her as he took off his outer robe with one arm and used it to make a type of sling to secure her to him. It would also give her a little extra protection. 

He dropped the clipboard on the empty bed, but kept the papers. He wasn't sure why, but he was sure Kagome's mother had a good reason for wanting them gone. Once he was sure that the baby would be safe, he hopped up onto the ledge. He checked the baby again to make sure it was still secure. Then he jumped. Going from level to level was easy, but he had to be uncomfortably close to the building. After every jump he would check on the baby. But all she did was stare with wide blue grey eyes, and occasional making a sound that he could swear was a giggle. When he was close enough he jumped into a tree. 

He tried to stay covered as he quickly made his way back to the shrine. Souta was waiting for him with Kagome's bag by the front door. He looked torn between nervousness and excitement. He opened his mouth, probably to ask how his sister was doing. Then he closed it and looked warmly at the baby. 

"Can I see her?" he asked softly. 

Inuyasha was in a hurry, but he let the kid take a peek.

"She's all wrinkly... kinda like an alien after all."

Inuyasha bopped him on the head and turned to hide his daughter from Souta. Then he grabbed Kagome's bag and started towards the well house without a word.

"Will... will I ever see her again?"

The scared uncertain tone in the kid's voice made Inuyasha stop. He wasn't sure if he was talking about his sister or his niece.

"Yes," he said, answering both questions, hopefully with certainty in his voice. He couldn't, however, turn to face the kid. Then he went to the well. He looked down at his little girl, and she looked back at him. "You ready?" 

He wasn't really expecting an answer. He suspected he wasn't asking the baby anyhow. He was plagued with questions and fear. What if it doesn't work? How will he hide the baby here? What if it does work? How will the baby get fed until Kagome could feed her? 

He didn't have any answers. But he jumped anyhow.

He held on to his daughter tightly, willing the light to let her through. He bent his knees slightly in case he wasn't able to go through and would need to soften the landing. He didn't take his eyes off of his little girl as the light engulfed him. He breathed a sigh of relief when she simply gurgled through the blue light. Safe on the other side of the well he let himself relax. Almost immediately a face appeared over the side of the well.

"Is that the baby?" asked an incredulous voice. "It's here already?"

Inuyasha leapt out of the well, landing as gently as he could on the other side. He gave Shippo a pat on the head, then unwrapped the baby and knelt down so the kitzune could see her better. The fox looked so in awe that Inuyasha's head swelled again.

"A girl?" he asked.

"Yeah. Got a problem with that?"

Shippo shook his head. "No! She's great! She's very cute." He looked at the baby, and Inuyasha was warmed by the love he saw. Then Shippo looked back up at him with confused green eyes. "But where is Kagome?"

Inuyasha swallowed with difficulty. They didn't know. None of them knew what had happened.

"I need your help. Kagome needs your help."

After a short explanation involving a lot of tears (Shippo) and swearing (Inuyasha), Shippo nodded gravely and turned to leave. Then he stopped. He kissed the baby on the head, ruffled her fuzzy hair, then took off. Inuyasha ran towards the village as Shippo went in search of Sesshomaru. Kaede was in the garden with Sango. Both women froze when they saw Inuyasha coming. At first they were smiling in joy at the bundle he held in his arms so carefully, then they noticed the look on his face... and the absence of Kagome.

"We need your help," he told them.

He explained about Kagome, and how he would need help with the baby until he could bring Kagome back. Sango agreed to take care of the baby and protect her with her life. Kaede promised to prepare a place for Kagome and began to gather the medicinal herbs she would need. Reluctantly he handed his pup over to Sango, then he ran back to the well.

He never felt more alone in his life.

Getting Kagome out wasn't going to be as easy as he thought. He realized this as he saw all the cars with flashing lights. Police cars, he remembered. Instead of going in through the front doors, Inuyasha snuck back in through a walkway on the roof. Walking down the hall he saw officers asking nurses and doctors questions. He decided that using the air duct again would be the best bet, so he found an empty bathroom and popped open a tile.

Traveling through air ducts was not fun. They were small and smelly. Finding empty rooms to jump down into was not as easy as it seemed. Police officers and hospital staff were everywhere! It took forever to get back to the bathroom in Kagome's room. Unfortunately her mother had company in the room. People were asking her questions, and her voice sounded stressed. He hated hearing her so upset. She was his family. His to protect. But Kagome HAD to come first. And right now he had to wait for just the right moment to rescue her.

The moment came quicker than he thought. One of the officers needed to use the restroom where Inuyasha was hiding. The dog demon rushed the officer then leapt over the next one to land by Kagome's bed. He heard her mother scream, and after glancing her way realized that it was another diversion.

With one swipe he cut through all the tubes connected to Kagome with one hand. With the other he gathered her up. With claws out and teeth bared, he turned on the people in the room and roared. Then raced to the window, covering her head, and going out backwards so the glass would not cut her as it shattered.

His escape with Kagome was very similar to his escape with his daughter. Only this time it went a lot faster.

"I'm so sorry, Kagome," he said as he saw the needles still in her arm. "Just a little longer, baby. Hold on just a little longer."

The painkillers must have been wearing off, because by the time they reached the shrine Kagome was moaning in pain. It was better that Souta not see her. Without pausing he raced to the well house, kicked down the door, and jumped into the well. When they reached the past he laid her gently on the grass and began to peel the tape off of Kagome's arm so he could pull the needle out. But at her first cry of pain he stopped. His hands were shaking as he put his forehead against hers. She was burning up.

Scooping her up again he ran to Kaede's. He had never run so fast in his life. Every cry and moan of pain tore him up inside.

"You're going to be okay," he told her desperately. "I love you. You're going to be okay."

Sango gasped when he stopped in front of the hut. He pushed past her to where there was a sleeping pallet on the floor. Carefully he laid her down. He just barely kept from snapping at Kaede when she knelt beside him. He tried to calm himself, but could not stop his voice from trembling as he spoke.

"We need to get these out of her," he said.

"Aye. What is this substance?"

"Just get those things out of her!" he snarled.

Eventually Inuyasha was asked to leave. He made vague threats (peppered generously with cursing). It took a threat from Sango to dust him with demon sleeping powder to keep him still. His job was to stroke Kagome's hair and tell her over and over that he loved her and that their baby girl was waiting for her. He kept his eyes on Kagome. He couldn't bear to watch what Kaede was doing. Luckily the herbal broth Sango made her drink had calmed her and seemed to have taken away much of the pain.

One by one the needles were pulled out and the tiny wounds were slathered with a healing salve. The broth was to help with the fever.

"The doctors from her time say that her insides are torn up," he was finally able to say.

Kaede was silent for an agonizing moment. Just when Inuyasha was about to lose his temper (again), she spoke solemnly.

"These are not wounds that I can heal." She moved to put her hand on his shoulder, then changed her mind. "I am sorry, Inuyasha. We will do what we can to make her comfortable."

He hunched over his mate's head and willed himself not to let the tears fall. He was having difficulty breathing. It wasn't true. Kagome WAS going to make it. He couldn't bear to lose her. When he heard his daughter cry his heart broke. He felt someone hold her for him, and he took her gratefully. His family…. _Kagome…. Please don't leave me, Kagome….  
_  
"A Lady of the Western Lands does not screech like a commoner," said a cold voice from the doorway. 

Inuyasha didn't need to look up to see who had entered.

"Sesshomaru." 

Welcome to the world, baby girl,

You're just as beautiful as your mother. Let's hope you have my temper though. 

And don't listen to your uncle Sesshomaru. He's kind of a jerk. You have my full permission to bite him whenever you feel like it. 

Your Daddy

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Author's Note:

I have used this as Kagome's eye color in all my stories because of the covers of the manga. I choose to exercise my artistic license and will keep them this color. 


	9. Meeting the Family Part II

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha (except for the ones I made up) are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story belongs to me.

Meeting the Family Part II

Hi Baby Sister!

Miroku is helping me write this. But the words are mine. Don't worry, I'll learn to write all on my own so I can help you when it's time for you to learn. Our mama knows how to write all the words in the whole world! I'm going to learn them too.

Mama is real sick right now, but Inuyasha is gonna make it all ok. So don't worry. Everything will be fine. Don't pay any attention to all the swearing. Inuyasha is just a little worried. Plus his older brother came by and those two never get along. I'll be a great big brother though. And we won't fight like those two do. You can always count on me! 

I'm really glad you are here. We are going to do all sorts of fun stuff together. I'll even let you use my crayons! Just try not to break them. Or tear the paper. Or chew on them.

Love, your Big Brother  


Shippo was worried about Kagome. He wanted to be in there with her, but Miroku had suggested he write something for his new baby sister instead. He wasn't dumb. He knew it was just to get him out of there. In a way he was a little glad. But only a little. It was hard watching Kagome and Inuyasha suffer. He was scared of losing his family. If Kagome... if anything happened to her, Inuyasha was sure to follow close behind. He remembered the vows that Kagome and Inuyasha took when they became mates, and how they bound their lives together. Whether or not it was intended to be a literal binding of lives, Shippo knew that the hanyou could not live without his miko.

Suddenly he felt very alone.

"Can I hold her?" the fox kit asked Sango.

The demon slayer had whisked the baby and Shippo both out of the hut nearly as soon as Sesshomaru stepped foot on the porch. She had said that it was to get some fresh air, but Shippo knew it was to keep them safe. After all, they were all within Miroku's barrier. Sure the overprotective father usually kept the barrier up when he was watching his own three kids, but the little fox had never been forced to stay within it before. With this particular spell no one could get in, and no one could get out (no matter how hard the twins would try). He would have to learn that spell as soon as the baby became mobile...

"Sit down," Sango told him gently. "Open your arms up."

Carefully she set the baby in Shippo's arms. She was warm and soft and smelled good. He felt his heart fill up, like it was going to burst. This was his baby sister. HIS! His family. He knew at that moment that he would protect her with the last breath in his body. She was his responsibility. His to teach and to protect. When her tiny fingers wrapped around one of his fingers he knew that he would take on anything for her. When she started gnawing on his finger he realized that she was the most precious thing in the whole world! And she was his!

He would teach her all of his kitzune tricks. All his magic! And he would teach her how to read and how to write (just as soon as he learned how). And maybe even that math stuff that Kagome talked about. He'd teach her that too. And how to fish and climb trees and play games and transform and find tasty berries (not the icky ones) and...

"Awwwwww," Shippo cooed and melted inside as she made a burbling sound. "Isn't that adorable!"

"She just spit up..." Miroku said with a grimace.

"But it's adorable spit up." 

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Dearest child,

Your father wished that we would all write a short note to welcome you into the world.

You bless us with your presence. Being a young lady, I hope that you will be a soothing influence on your father. I have nothing but the best wishes for you, and will endeavor to help you in your journey though life.

Miroku.

Miroku finished his note and handed the items to Sango. She took them and went to go sit near the steps at Kaede's hut at the very edge of the barrier. She was trying to remain positive, for the sake of the children. But this was killing her.

Kagome... things did not look well for the young miko. For his dear friend. He had been listening to the story that Inuyasha had told Kaede about where Kagome was and what the people called 'doctors' had planned. He had been anguished over the fact that he may have accidently killed Kagome by taking her from the 'hospital' and bringing her here. Kaede had tried to console him by saying that she was home now, and would be most comfortable here. Sesshomaru hadn't helped matters when he showed up. The proclamation that he could see the minions of the dead surrounding the girl caused quite the eruption. Inuyasha had raged, loudly and violently.

Then there was silence. It was harder to listen to than the yelling. Eventually he had no choice but to check on his friend... from a distance. From his spot on the grass, Miroku could peek in and see what was going on. Inuyasha was sitting silently back at his spot by Kagome, gently patting her leg, and ignoring everyone else. Sesshomaru, oddly enough, only watched. For awhile.

"Rin," the elder demon said loud enough for Miroku to hear over his daughter's digging as they tried to escape the barrier, "Go find Kohaku and play."

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru!" The little girl who had stood silently at his side, nearly invisible, briefly stood at attention before she cheerfully waved and ran off.

"Watch over Rin, Jaken."

"Bbbbut... But my Lord! My place is wi..." A cold look sent the little green demon bawling at being torn from his master's side and chased after Rin... after bouncing off of the barrier... twice...

Sesshomaru's presence was not as unusual as it might have once been. After Kagome and Inuyasha married, the dog demon lord had taken an interest in her. Kagome felt it was because Rin was starting to grow up and was human, so it made sense that she would need another female (human) to talk to about 'changes'. And Sesshomaru went to great lengths to make sure Rin was happy, though he would never admit it. Ever. Miroku, however, thought that perhaps it was because she confused him. Her love and devotion to Inuyasha, a mere half demon (not his words, Sesshomaru's), was perplexing when all other humans were repulsed by him. Miroku still felt bad that even he and Sango had attacked Inuyasha when they first met him. But not Kagome. The first thing Kagome did was free him.

It was not her innate magic or her link to Kikyo that made her so special. No. It was her compassionate heart and acceptance of demons, half demons, humans, really any creature she came in contact with. And that was something that Sesshomaru could never quite figure out. Though it would appear that he was attempting to, and Miroku gave him credit for that.

Kohaku was the reason Sesshomaru would sometimes give for his visits. Rin wanted to visit him. What Rin wants, Rin usually gets. It should have spoiled the girl, but it didn't. Perhaps it was because the child rarely seemed to ask for anything but to be near Sesshomaru. But Miroku saw how the lord of the western lands would often watch Kagome. And how Kagome affected Inuyasha. He would almost swear that at those times his eyes seemed less cold, but couldn't be positive. Most visits still ended in a battle, but it really just seemed for show most of the time.

"There is a healer in the mountains just beyond the river," Sesshomaru said. "In her garden grows a purple flower with a red stem and pale seeds that blooms at midday. It is called Hope's Breath. When brewed at full bloom it can be used to heal your mate."

"I have heard of no su..." Kaede was silenced with a glacial stare.

"A flower?" Inuyasha looked up at his brother, slightly dazed looking. Miroku couldn't actually hear the words he said, but he could read the movement of his lips fairly well. "Save Kagome?"

"You have little time. Run."

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Dear Sweet Baby,

This is your aunt Sango. Well, biologically I am not related, but I am still your aunt. Your mother, Kagome, is like a sister to me. She is family.

My son, Toutoi, is close to your age, and he seems to think you are fascinating. I promise to keep him from poking you in the eyes and tugging on your ears. He really likes your tiny little ears. We have a difficult time keeping our daughters, Suki and Yuki, from picking you up to play with you like a doll. Though I suppose we shouldn't worry, Shippo is very protective of you. Even Kirara has taken to making sure the girls do not get too close to you.

Your aunt, Sango

Sango just finished signing her name, deciding to not mention that the fire cat would growl at the little baby if her teeth came anywhere near Toutoi, when Inuyasha raced from the hut. Miroku dropped the barrier as he gathered up their children and stood next to Shippo. Toutoi was immediately slipped into the sling that Miroku wore and he took each of the girls by a hand. She wasn't sure what he was going to do once their son got too old to be carried... or if they had more children.

"Where are you going?" she called after the dog demon.

"Saving Kagome!"

That was all she needed to hear. She handed the baby to Miroku and called for Kirara. Shippo jumped on behind her. She wasn't sure what could be done to save Kagome, but she would do whatever it takes.

Catching up to Inuyasha was impossible, the best they could do was not lose him. Kirara was going full speed, and even that was too slow. She had never known Inuyasha to move that fast before.

She worried. Inuyasha was half crazed. She wasn't sure how safe any of them were around him while Kagome was in mortal danger. She was glad Miroku had kept up the barrier. There were times she was very glad she married the monk. She glanced back, even though she knew they were too far from the village now to see him. But she could still see him smile and his wave. Looking down she saw Shippo's grim face. The kit may be growing, but he was still so young. He had lost so much already, they all had. They couldn't lose Kagome too.

They just couldn't.

When she finally caught up to Inuyasha, she found him screaming at some poor old lady.

"HOPE'S BREATH!" he screamed as he held her by the front of her kimono and shook her. "PURPLE FLOWER! I NEED IT TO SAVE KAGOME!"

Sango couldn't wait for Kirara to land, so she jumped to the ground and sprang towards Inuyasha. She didn't want to have to use a weapon on him, so she prayed he would be reasonable. Oh who was she kidding? She got out the paralyzing dust and threw it at Inuyasha when she got close enough.

"I am very sorry," Sango apologized to the woman as she pried off Inuyasha's fingers. "His wife is very ill and he is a little bit insane at the moment."

"He screams about a flower," the woman said. "He destroyed my garden!"

"We will put your garden back to rights."

"He broke my door!"

Sango tried to keep smiling politely, but it was getting difficult. "We will fix your door."

"He frightened my pigs away!"

"You don't have any pigs, you old liar!" yelled a very angry dog demon as he fought the paralysis dust.

The woman shrugged. "I have no purple flower either, demon."

"Hope's Breath is the only thing that will save Kagome! You have it! Give it to me!"

Sango asked about the flower, and Inuyasha told her about what Sesshomaru had told him. As kindly as she could, she suggested that the woman find a place to hide and to stay there for awhile. Then she took a few steps back and made sure she knew where Kirara and Shippo were (watching safely a few yards away). When she was reasonably certain that everyone would have a safe getaway, she told Inuyasha the bad news.

Then ran. 

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Hi Baby!

Rin knows Lord Sesshomaru will fix your mama up just fine, don't you worry.

Lord Sesshomaru says your blood is strong like his daddy's, even though your eyes aren't gold. Rin thinks your eyes are pretty though.  


Rin

It had been easy to get Kohaku to take Rin back to the hut to watch hidden from view. Kohaku was Rin's friend. Smiling at him got Rin a smile in return. Together they watched what was going on in the hut.

"There is no such blossom as Hope's Breath," Kaede said as she replaced the cloth on Kagome's head.

He didn't answer, but he didn't have to. A pointed look, however, told the older miko that she should leave him alone with the sick girl. Kaede was reluctant, but in the end she relented. She left the hut with a sigh. Sesshomaru knelt by Kagome, her face flush from the fever. Her eyes fluttered open when he moved a strand of hair off of her face.

"Sss... Sessss... koff koff... mmmru..." Blood spattered her lips as she coughed.

"Do you trust this Sesshomaru?" he asked quietly, looking down at her.

"Oddly...koff koff... oddly... yes."

"Then rest, little sister." He stood back up. "Be at peace."

Silently, Rin and Kohaku watched as Kagome gave another wheezing cough... then closed her eyes. Her breathing was labored, then she inhaled one last time before her body became still. 

Death was not a new sight for the ones watching Kagome's last breath. Death was something that both of the young ones were all too familiar with. Tears shined in Kohaku's eyes when Kagome died, but Rin's eyes were dry. When Kohaku turned away and bowed his head, Rin continued to watch. She looked from Sesshomaru to Kagome and waited patiently.

Slowly the dog demon drew his sword. He narrowed his golden eyes, then swiped the blade through the miko's body. The very corner of his mouth twitched, barely perceptive, but there nonetheless.

"Come, Rin."

The girl popped up from her hiding spot and ran to his side.

"It is time to go."

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"HE LIED!"

"Calm down, Inuyasha!" But Sango was ignored. 

"HE LIED!"

Inuyasha raced back to the village, tearing down anything that crossed his path. He was furious. And sick. His brother had tricked him into leaving Kagome alone. There was no such flower as Hope's Breath. So much time wasted! He should have been at Kagome's side! She needed him! Why would his brother have done such a despicable thing? How could he have been stupid enough to trust Sesshomaru, leaving his mate and pup? He would never forgive himself if anything happened to them while he was running a fool's errand.

When he got back to the village he realized that his brother had already left. But what made Inuyasha's palms sweat was how very quiet Kaede's hut was. Cautiously he walked up the steps. He could hear Miroku talking with Kaede out in the garden. Why was no one watching over Kagome? It was dark inside the hut. The candles that had been lit earlier had been put out. The windows were covered. 

"Kagome?"

He hated how his voice cracked. 

She was lying so still...

"Kagome?" His feet moved swiftly to her side and he dropped to his knees. Was he too late? He took her hand in his and kissed it.

"Inuyasha?"

His throat closed up and tears stung his eyes as he heard Kagome's voice. She sleepily opened her eyes and smiled at him. He felt light headed. Giddy. He wanted to shout from the rooftop! To howl in joy! But he couldn't make a sound. Instead he dropped his head down and touched his lips to hers. Her name barely came out in a whisper. But she heard, and she wrapped her arms around his neck.

They held each other tightly, until Inuyasha remembered that she was still gravely injured. But when he pulled back, he couldn't see any evidence of pain or injuries. Her fever was gone and her eyes were clear. Even her bedding had been changed and there was no trace of her blood or sickness. It was all very... confusing. For a moment he wondered if he was dreaming. It certainly didn't seem real. 

A wail from the doorway caused Inuyasha and Kagome to both jump.

"Someone was missing her parents."

Miroku brought the baby in and placed her in Kagome's arms. Almost immediately the child began to nurse. The miko smiled, then tears trickled down her cheeks.

"She's so beautiful."

"Yes," said Inuyasha as he lay next to her, their daughter between them. "Our beautiful radiant light, our Hikari." 

Kagome giggled as she peppered her daughters head with kisses, "I thought you wanted to name her Haburi, for power. Or Chikara for strength." 

"Hey, light can be pretty powerful stuff! They can be turned into laser beams and blast things." 

"Have you been reading Souta's comics again?" 

Instead of answering, Inuyasha reached over and touched her face. "I was so scared… I thought I lost you." His voice caught, and nearly broke. "I love you, Kagome. You can't do that to me again. Ever."

"I love you too, Inuyasha." She leaned forward to kiss him, then she nuzzled the top of the baby's head. "And I adore you too, Hikari." She gasped, frightening Inuyasha until he saw her looking at her daughter with delight. "She has your ears!"

He couldn't help but grin. 

After feeding the hungry baby, Kagome yawned. When her eyes finally closed, Inuyasha eased their daughter out of his mate's arms. He didn't know how it happened, and at that moment he didn't really care. He had his mate back. And he had his daughter.

He could hear Shippo and Sango asking Miroku questions out in front of the hut. He heard something about Sesshomaru's sword, Tensaiga, and he had a sinking feeling, that he owed his brother for this miracle. But no price would be too high for the life of Kagome.

"Thank you," he whispered. 

Welcome to the family, my sweet Hikari.

You are the light of our lives, and we love you dearly.

All my love,

Mama

ooOOOoo 

Hey Pup,

If I had known people were going to write so sloppy in your baby book I never would have let them touch it!

Daddy

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Author's Note:

There were a couple of really good questions asked in the reviews, so I thought I'd go ahead and answer them here.

1. Why would Inuyasha and Mrs. Higurashi take the time to write a cheerful note in the baby's journal when Kagome's life is in danger?

Two reasons really. Partly because it helps keep continuity between the chapters, each begins and ends with an entry. But mostly because I would bet that Mrs. H. would convince Inuyasha that it would be important to keep the entries going for his child's sake. So that the child would look back with fondness on the event, and not have feelings of guilt and sorrow.

2. Why would Inuyasha take Kagome back to the past when she would have better care in the future?

Well, keep in mind that Inuyasha did not grow up in our time period. And while he trusts Mrs. H. and Kagome when they say that the doctors in our time have better care, when instincts kick in you go to where you KNOW it is safe. Besides, can you imagine how freaked out he would be if he found out that they planned on taking out some of Kagome's insides?

Author's Note #2:

I am choosing to believe that the sword can restore Kagome to full health based on the fact that Rin had been torn apart by wolves and killed, and the sword brought her back to life with relatively little wrong with her.

Also, my one shot story (Robes of Blood) would come between this chapter and the next, though it is not necessary to read for the story. Not a shameless promotion, just letting you know where a chunk of story is located.


	10. Laughing Moon

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story (and Hikari) belongs to me.

Laughing Moon

My sweet Hikari,  


I can't believe how much you've grown in only a month! You are so beautiful and precious. There has never been a baby more beautiful than you! Oh, and your tiny little ears are so adorable it is all I can do to keep from touching them all the time! Everyone comments on how much hair you have already. 

Your father and I have an ongoing battle with putting bows in your hair. I keep putting them in and he keeps taking them out. To be fair, it's because he says YOU keep pulling them out so you must not like them. But they are so adorable in your hair! When you get a little older we will likely have to use bows or hats to hide your ears when we go to visit Grandma. Of course she adores your ears, but in the future (where I came from) people do not usually have ears like yours and your fathers, and we like to keep a low profile. Well, we try at least. It will all make sense when you are older.  


Sweetie, there will be times when your father is going to drive you up the wall. He can be very overprotective to the point of smothering at times. But you just have to remind yourself that he does it because he loves you and is worried about you and wants to keep you safe. You may have to remind yourself over and over. And over.  


Speaking of when you get older, you are going to go through some changes once a month. They might be a little scary at first, but it is perfect normal. You are probably going to feel confused and maybe angry, but that is perfectly normal. If you have any questions or worries, you can talk to us any time.  


We are always here for you.  


Your Loving Mama  


It was entirely possibly that Inuyasha would not live to see his daughter's one month celebration. She might kill him before the party.

He was sweet. And she loved him. But his over protectiveness was really beginning to get on her nerves. Honestly she never felt better in her life, but he still treated her as if she was going to break apart at any moment. She tried to remind herself that he was a bit freaked out because she had almost died... well, technically she DID die, but she didn't think he really needed to know that just yet. Or ever really. Is not bringing up a subject a lie of sorts?

Kagome took a deep breath and jumped.

Inuyasha and Hikari would be waiting for her on the other side. She smiled at that thought.

This wasn't Hikari's first trip to the future. It was her sixth. Her first trip was a couple of weeks after she was born. It had been a fight to get Inuyasha to let Kagome out of the hut for more than a few yards, even though she was perfectly fine. But that was okay with her. A couple of days after she... er... woke up and Inuyasha was back from his wild goose chase (she reminded herself to thank Sesshomaru again for that, otherwise she'd be confined to the hut for months!) they oh so carefully moved them into their own hut. Inuyasha had built it himself. It was... an interesting hut. But it had been important for him to build it. He had made it to surprise her as a wedding gift.

Their home wasn't IN the village, but it was near it. Near the well. But also quite well hidden. The hut looked much like a tiny one room place from the outside. There was a tiny porch with a free standing porch swing that he must have snuck over from her time. The room inside was quite cozy with a fire pit and windows on every wall. Every wall except for the back wall.

The back wall was actually the side of the mountain. Inuyasha had spent untold hours digging out part of the mountain to create sleeping chambers and a play room. In case of attack, there was a rock that would seal the cave (if you knew which tiny rock to pull to create the chain reaction). When that rock falls, it causes another section of the wall to open into an existing set of tunnels. One tunnel led to an inside hot spring that was vented through holes that reached the top of the mountain so suffocation was not an issue. The other tunnel led to an escape route that would take them to the other side of the mountain. Unlit torches as well as flashlights were at the mouth of the tunnels and at a few spots in between. The tunnels emptied into a place near the river where there was a small boat hidden nearby.

Apparently her husband was taking protecting his family very seriously.

Not only had he thought of all the possible ways they could be killed and how to prevent that from happening, but he also was actually thoughtful enough to bring her things that would make her feel more at home. He had a bookshelf with some of her favorite books, and some picture books for the baby. He brought her a bed, a real bed with a mattress and everything! He brought her hand held game machines with battery packs (he said they were for her, but her brother had gotten him addicted to games too), board games, stuffed animals, and tons of paper and crayons for Shippo.

Thinking about it made her forget why she was so irritated with him.

Oh right, the fact that he was still treating her like she was made out of glass. Unfortunately thinking about her home made her lose her steam and she shrugged it off. He loved her and was just worried. It had practically become her mantra all month long.

The first trip to the future Inuyasha and carried her while she carried Hikari. They didn't jump though. They were concerned that their daughter would not be able to pass. So they went slowly and Shippo came along to make sure that if she didn't pass that he would watch her. Luckily things went off without a hitch. All three passed harmlessly through, Hikari giggled the whole way as if she were being tickled. Her mother had been overjoyed. She was shocked at how well Kagome was, and thrilled. She doted on her daughter and granddaughter and showered them all with love and lots of cookies.

The second trip happened only a couple of days after the first. Her mother had made her promise. She had also made them swear to take pictures at least twice a day every day so she could watch Hikari grow up. The third and fourth trip all happened a few days after they got back from the second trip. They kept forgetting one thing or another at her mother's house. But Kagome suspected it was because her mother was more than happy to take over diaper changing and it was Inuyasha's day to be in charge of that. The stockpile of new flavors of ramen might have something to do with it as well. The fifth trip was just a few days ago when they had run out of diapers. They discovered quickly that they would much rather put up with making frequent trips to the future for the disposable diapers than to keep washing them out. Not to mention the fact that they would have to bring used ones back in trash bags since it wouldn't do for archaeologists to find the remains of 500 year old diapers.

"Took you long enough," complained Inuyasha as he carefully pulled her out of the well.

"Oh hush."

He didn't give up possession of Hikari when they left the well house. By now she knew that he wouldn't give the baby up until they had entered the house. it was kind of cute really. Like he was using her as a shield. See? Look. Cute baby. Don't kill me because I took your daughter from you. Peace?

As always, her mother was at the door with a smile and a camera. It was like they had been gone for months, not days.

Kagome suspected that Inuyasha was more than happy to make trips to the future because he felt that their daughter was safer there. Less chances of being devoured by a stray demon. Though after taking Hikari out for a walk in her stroller, he quickly changed his mind. Any thoughts he had of leaving his mate and pup in the future while he battled in the past went out the window as soon as the first car zoomed by them. The present had its own dangers. Every human male was an enemy out to steal his family, or hurt them. Every female was jealous of Kagome and wanted to do away with her and snatch away their baby. His paranoia could be a little much some times. She had to remember to have a talk with Souta about the kinds of movies he watches with her husband.

"Hi Mama!"

Kagome hugged her mother (who seemed to have gone all out decorating the house for their celebration). She wasn't tooooo insulted at how quickly her mother hugged then let loose so she could pluck little Hikari from her father's arms.

"Hello sweet angel," she cooed to her granddaughter. "Oooh look at my sweet widdle baby! Who's the sweetest baby in the world?"

Well, obviously it was Hikari.

Kagome let her yellow backpack drop by the door. It used to be filled with school books, now it is filled with diapers and wipes. Cute little baby bags did not hold up well in the past. The backpack was just more handy to lug everything around. Strollers were a little impractical as well. Kagome grinned, remembering the school assignment she had forever ago when she and Inuyasha went to go look at baby items and priced them. He had taken it so seriously. Every item they looked at he gave careful consideration of how well it would stand up in the past. Turned out he was right on most of them. Still, the fact that he had been so thoughtful and protective of their baby, even when she was just imaginary, made her feel all warm and gooshy inside and she loved him just that much more.

"What?" asked Inuyasha when he caught her staring at him. Then he caught HOW she was staring at him and his cheeks began to turn pink and he turned away. She wondered if he would ever get over his shyness. It was as adorable as it was sometimes infuriating.

"I would love to babysit for you if you two would like to take a walk or something." Okay, so apparently her mother hadn't missed the staring either.

Too embarrassed to take her up on the offer since she would know why they took her up on the offer, they both hurriedly declined. Kagome shot an irritated look to her husband. She had declined because she was just too embarrassed for her mother to think that they were... well, doing what they would be doing. Problem was, Inuyasha still treated her like she was going to break at any second, so she was lucky to even get a kiss out of him.

Kagome continued to fume about it as they sat and had lunch then the far too elaborate cake for a one month celebration. Or most weddings for that matter. Then Kagome began to plot how to get Inuyasha to pay attention to her in 'that way' after watching romantic comedy movie on the television. As night fell she decided that she would ask her mother to babysit after all. Then take her husband and ... what was that? Someone was gasping. She turned to see her mother staring wide eyed at the sleeping baby.

"Look!" her mother whispered.

Kagome and Inuyasha (who had been watching her with an annoying increasing worry over the course of the day) looked into the crib where Hikari had been resting. She opened her beautiful blue grey eyes. Her face scrunched up in confusing, and her eyes suddenly started shifting. The grey faded to gold, and the blue to brown. They were the color of dark honey. Her hair seemed to shimmer, then the silver disappeared as it was engulfed by black. Her ears were human, and at the sides of her head instead of on top.

Then she began to cry as if her heart was broken.

"Her senses are dulled," Inuyasha explained as Kagome gathered up her daughter in her arms and began to bounce her gently and pat her back. Inuyasha wrapped his arms around the both of them. "She can't see even half as well. Her hearing has faded dramatically. Her nose only captures a fraction of the scents." He spoke softly, gently. "She feels like she has gone nearly blind and deaf. She's scared and feels alone since she can't sense us like she used to. Hold her close, Kagome. Let her smell you."

Kagome held her daughter close, feeling panicked and tried not to cry herself. Inuyasha looked like his heart was breaking. His daughter was scared, and there was nothing he could do.

"I didn't know," her mother whispered, looking at Inuyasha with great sympathy. She touched his head, then went down to the kitchen. Kagome would bet anything that she would be back with ten kinds of ramen and all his favorite treats.

Inuyasha picked her up, baby and all, and walked across the room to the rocking chair. He sat down with Kagome in his lap, and together they rocked their daughter. They took turns telling stories, singing, or humming. Anything to let Hikari know that they were still with her. Her mother did come back in a short time later, with ramen and lots of treats.

Souta had peeked around the corner nervously.

"Can I come in, too?" He came in when Kagome nodded. "Is she okay?"

Kagome didn't know quite how to answer that question. Instead she tried to give her brother a comforting smile. The worried uncle came to brush his niece's hair.

"What happened to her?" He didn't look up to see Inuyasha's wary look. "Come to uncle Souta. That's a good girl. Who's a pretty baby?"

Hikari quieted for a few moments, then began to wail again. Reluctantly Souta returned the little girl to his sister. After a few minutes of nervous pacing, Kagome told him to sit down or leave. So he left. Only to return with his computer. He hooked it up so he could do his homework in the baby's room. Her grandfather came in soon after under the premise that he wanted ramen too, and began telling his own stories.

They took turns holding the baby, assuring her that her family was still there with her. No sooner was she comforted by one family member that she started screaming for another. She was confused and scared, and there was nothing Kagome could do to calm her child. She felt helpless and sick to her stomach. The sound was tearing her up from the inside. When she wasn't holding her daughter, she was being comforted by her mother or by her husband. It was when she held on to Inuyasha that her pain increased. Inuyasha had suffered what their child was going through. But he had been alone. Scared and alone. She began to understand a little better why he protected them so fiercely.

"I love you," she would keep telling him, "And you'll never be alone. Ever."

Inuyasha would pat her head, then hug her back (if no one was looking) before going to fetch his daughter from whoever happened to be holding her at the time. He didn't speak much during the night. Perhaps he couldn't.

"You used to call this the laughing moon," her mother said after Souta and her grandfather had fallen asleep. Her grandfather had gone to bed, but her little brother was camping out curled around his laptop. "You would tilt your head to the side and say that the moon was smiling and laughing."

"It's the waning crescent moon," yawned her brother sleepily. "Looked it up."

Kagome looked down at the tear stained cheeks of her daughter, then at her stressed out mate. "If you tilt your head the other way it's frowning, though." How would she survive this devastation every month? It was breaking her heart. Even now her baby girl was hiccupping with crocodile tears falling. The near hysterical screaming had finally faded (to a quiet whimper, which was almost worse), her own tears had not yet stopped. Too bad Inuyasha's parenting book didn't cover this. She would have taken any advice she could get.

"We will find a way to make it a laughing moon." Her mother got up and kissed her on the head. Then kissed Inuyasha's head as well.

"We'll take you to the movies on those nights," Inuyasha told his daughter as he pat her back and looked lost at her heart broken whimpers. "It's way too loud in there anyhow with hearing like ours. And too smelly. Or maybe those amusement park things. Your human time will be the only time it will be bearable."

"Maybe the mall, too."

"Don't talk crazy talk, Kagome," he said.

"She will love the mall."

"She will not."

"She's a girl! She's born to love a mall!"

"Don't be so stereo... steropic... ster..."

"Stereotypical," supplied Souta sleepily.

"Yeah," Inuyasha snorted, "Don't be so stereotypical. And put that bow down right now!"

"But it matches!"

"She doesn't like it"

"It's so cute!"

"Put it down! Hey! No! Stop it!"

They both turned their heads when Kagome's mother shushed them. She nodded towards the baby, who had finally calmed down and was looking from parent to parent. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The silence even had grandpa scurrying into the room looking slightly panicked. But when the fighting stopped and things got quiet, the crying and screaming soon followed.

Never were Kagome and Inuyasha so happy to see the dawn. 

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Hey Pup,

Don't forget that your human time of the month is to be kept secret. It can be dangerous if anyone finds this out. You don't have the strength you have as part demon, and your senses are dulled. You will be vulnerable. So don't tell a soul! Except for your mama and me, you can tell us anything. 

Oh, and Shippo. It's okay if he knows. 

Miroku and Sango too, you can trust them. Kirara knows...your grandma knows, your great grandpa, your uncle Souta... But that's it! No more. Oh, Miroku and Sango's kids will probably know. And Myoga, the demon flea will figure it out. 

But that's really it.

Your human part isn't anything to be ashamed of, you know. You just have to protect yourself the best you can. Not that I'll ever let anything hurt you, but it is always smart to be prepared.  


Daddy

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Author's Note: I'm sure I had something important to say... but for the life of me I can't remember what. But I did want to thank everyone for your reviews. I do appreciate them very much. You guys really make my day! 


	11. Disturbing Realizations

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story (and Hikari) belongs to me.

Disturbing Realizations

My darling Hikari,

Your father is a wonderful man and I love him very much. He has many very good traits, so why... WHY did you choose his love of battles to inherit? Are you trying to give your mother a heart attack?

Speaking of battles, ferberizing is a way to teach a baby to gradually fall asleep on their own, it is not a method to torture your child.  


Your Loving Mama  


In the four and a half months since her daughter had been born, they had been lucky enough to not have to fight in any battles. Luck, however, has a tendency to run out.

"We're surrounded," Kagome whispered as she tucked Hikari into the pack Inuyasha carried.

Usually she would take the child and find a good place to keep her protected if they ran into trouble, she wouldn't have to fight. But these chameleon type of demons seemed to blend in with the forest, and Inuyasha's nose was stopped up from defending the last village along the seaside with a demon who used a strong smelling ink. Fighting demons was bound to happen, she knew it, but she still wasn't prepared for it. She was terrified for her daughter.

Making sure the tiny fire rat robe that Inuyasha had made his daughter had her well covered, Kagome secured her daughter quickly. Her fingers lingered over the stitching of flowers along the edges. Her mother had wanted to embroider the fabric, but only Inuyasha had been able to tear through the skin of the fire rat. So the dog demon had learned to embroider so his daughter could have pretty edges on her robe. Embroidery using tiny strips of fire rat skin that had been dyed, something Inuyasha and Kagome had worked hard to figure out how to do. Working with a self healing tough skin was not easy. Kagome had thought that the gift had been sweet when Inuyasha had first presented her with the robes he had worked on so hard, tanning and treating himself (and obviously killing the fire rat himself). But now she was grateful for the protection the robes would give her little girl.

She turned her back to Inuyasha and faced the silent chameleon demons. With Hikari safely between them, Kagome plucked up an arrow and drew the bowstring taught. She let the arrow fly as one of the demons took a swipe at them.

How DARE they endanger her child!

Her body burned with energy and she blazed with an aura of pink energy. One demon instinctively ran. His two not so bright companions were reduced to a bunch of sparkles after Kagome let her arrow fly. That's when she realized the Inuyasha had not yet jumped forward to battle. His sword was drawn, but he had not moved. She heard him telling the demons that they could just turn around and be grateful he let them live, before they were turned to dust as well. It was curious. Kagome took her eyes off the enemy long enough to look at Inuyasha. His eyes were narrowed, nearly glowing, and his hand was twitching. He was... strategizing!

"YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaa!"

The demons apparently chose to believe that Inuyasha was bluffing. But instead of racing towards the demons with his sword drawn he jumped straight up, catching Kagome's hand as he flew. He dropped Kagome on a large overhanging branch and was about to give her Hikari when a sound stopped him.

Hikari was giggling.

His eyes went from battle ready to adoring daddy in a heartbeat.

"Uh oh," Kagome breathed. She reached out for her daughter, but it was too late, Inuyasha was airborne again.

Hikari's squeals of delight echoed through the trees as Inuyasha jumped higher and higher. Kagome would have thought that her husband had forgotten about the fight they were in if he hadn't cut himself and started using Blades of Blood on his enemies. He would launch himself in the air as he attacked from a distance and his daughter giggled and laughed and squealed. Kagome shook her head at them and tried not to smile at them as she continued to shoot arrows at the demons who were still stupid enough to try and attack her family.

It was disturbing, however, to realize that her little girl was laughing more than she ever had... all because of a battle. This didn't bode well.

The last demon fell and Kagome started climbing down the tree. She had a thing or two to say to that husband of her. Such as...

"Are you CRAZY for taking Hikari into battle?"

"She was safe! No one even came near us!"

Kagome made a growling sound stomped around to the back of Inuyasha and she took her disappointed looking daughter from where she was strapped to her father. Then she turned back to Inuyasha and yelled "SIT!" at the top of her lungs. He crashed to the ground.

"And you," she said to her daughter, who looked at her with such big innocent eyes that Kagome began to melt inside, "you... Couldn't you like the little swinging chair your grandma bought you this much?"

Hikari giggled and began babbling in excited babyspeak. "Bay Buh, ma ba da bay buh." Then she shrieked in laughter. "Bay Buh!"

Kagome felt cold inside. Then she narrowed her eyes at the struggling Inuyasha. "If our daughter's first words are 'Blades of Blood', you are in serious trouble!"

Years of habit had Kagome turning her back to the dog demon. But this time she didn't stomp off, which had always been her first reaction. She took a breath and ignored him calling her name and asking 'why'. She sighed. While he couldn't run off was a good enough time to have this conversation as any other. It was a conversation they should have had before, though she wasn't looking forward to it. It was better to have it now then when it was too late and habits would be impossible to break.

What was more disturbing than Hikari loving battle (her father WAS Inuyasha after all, so was it really any surprise?), was the fact that her beloved dog demon was determined to give in to his daughter's every whim. She had heard of people being wrapped around someone's little finger, and now she saw what it was like in person.

"She wasn't in danger, Kagome. I would NEVER put Hikari in danger."

She sighed and sat down next to him, setting Hikari in her lap. "I know that, Inuyasha." And she did too. He would never let any harm come to her, to either of them really, if it was all possible. And lately Inuyasha was thinking and planning, and keeping the danger as far from them as possible while eliminating the threat. He was careful now. "But we have to talk."

The dog demon's body froze, and his eyes widened in fear as he looked at his mate. "Talk?" he squeaked.

"Inuyasha, I love that you love Hikari and want to give her everything she wants... even her very first battle... but as she grows older we have to start being... well... more careful about how many of her demands we give in to. We don't want her to grow up spoiled."

"Why not?"

"Wh... why not? She'd be spoiled, Inuyasha."

"So that means what? She gets everything she wants. I'm okay with that."

"You're... No, Inuyasha. She has to learn that she can't always have everything she wants."

"Why not? She should have everything she wants."

"There are lots of reasons why she shouldn't have every single thing she wants."

Inuyasha's eyes were hard as he looked at her. The expression surprised her. He looked... hurt. She closed her mouth and bit back the reply she was going to make. Then she closed her eyes and had to remember that he grew up fighting for survival. Every meal was one that was paid for in blood. Of course he was going to want his daughter to have everything she wanted, when he had so little and his life had been so hard.

He was freed from the spell, and Kagome pat the ground beside her for him to sit. She let him take Hikari into his arms. Oh, how she loved him. And the love she felt nearly burst her heart as she watched him with their child.

"I don't want our daughter to grow up every knowing hunger, or pain, or hurt either, Inuyasha. But sometimes she is going to want things that aren't good for her. Sometimes we will have to tell her 'no' to keep her safe and healthy. Remember when you ate all the ramen in the pantry and you were sick for three days? Well, that's why you only get one cup. Sometimes Hikari will want something, but it won't be good for her, and we'll have to protect her against that so she won't make herself sick. And if you always take her into battle she won't understand how dangerous it is and might run into a battle when you aren't there to protect her."

"I'll always be there to protect her!"

"You can't know that."

He was quiet for a moment, tickling Hikari under the chin as she gurgled happily. Then he looked at Kagome suspiciously. "Are you trying to trick me in torturing our daughter with Ferberizing?" 

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"Feberizing isn't torture, Inuyasha. It's supposed to be a way to teach Hikari to fall asleep on her own."

"I ain't abandoning our pup."

"It's not abandoning, Inuyasha," she said tiredly as she splashed her giggling daughter. Inuyasha was disturbed to find out the Hikari had developed Kagome's unusual fondness for baths. Trips were going to take twice as long, he just knew it. "And I didn't say we WERE going to do it, I just thought we should talk about it."

"What's Kagome talking about?" asked Shippo as he appeared at Inuyasha's side. He had caught up with them just as they neared the water, his babysitting duties done for the afternoon.

"She thinks we should let our pup cry herself to sleep at night."

Shippo was as horrified as Inuyasha had been when he had first heard of it. "Let Hikari cry?" The question was barely a whisper.

"I didn't say that!" Kagome called out from the water. It had been decided that Shippo would start bathing with the men instead of the women. The choice had been hard on Kagome. Inuyasha remembered the sad look in her eyes when Shippo had announced that he was too old to bathe with the women folk. He was a man now. That last little part brought the merriment back to her eyes, and Inuyasha refrained from bopping the kit on the head. "It is a method where you teach her to put herself to bed. Don't pick her up immediately when she cries, but then you go comfort her and stuff. Then the next night you let her cry a little longer... Then over time she doesn't cry when she's put to bed. 'Progressive waiting' is what they call it"

"They torture babies in Kagome's time?" Shippo gasped.

"It's not torture!"

"It's surprising all the babies aren't eaten by wild animals and roving demons," Inuyasha complained.

"INUYASHA!"

Shippo began to cry, louder than Kagome was yelling. "I DON'T WANT KARI TO BE EATEN BY WILD ANIMALS!"

"Wild..." Kagome sounded confused and stopped bathing Hikari, turning her attention to the fox kit.

"She'll think we don't love her and she'll feel lonely and scared and have nightmares and scared and wild animals could be anywhere and hear her cry and think she's alone and think it's ok to come eat her or even demon attacks and she'll be alone and think we don't love her..."

Inuyasha started to tune out Shippo's hysterical outburst. He was much more interested in watching Hikari kick her legs in the water as Kagome held her while using her soft voice and trying to explain about what some doctor in her time said about letting babies cry. The kid had no fear of water. At all. His heart was bursting with pride at his courageous pup. For a moment. Then he began wondering what would happen if she ran and jumped into a river or something when no one was around and drowned! Even if she could swim (and he had no doubt she'd be swimming like a fish in just a matter of days, just look at that kick!), she might not know if there were rocks or sticks or logs or sharp toothed demons lurking under the surface. 

"Ain't you been in there long enough?" complained Inuyasha, suddenly fearful of his daughter being in the water.

Kagome was holding a sobbing Shippo who clinging desperately to Hikari, who seemed much more interested in getting back to the water. "We haven't been in here that long, Inuyasha," she said. "Why don't you come on in and join us?"

But he didn't want to join them, he wanted them out of the water. The longer they stayed in, the more fun Hikari was having. The more fun she was having, the more likely she was going to go crawling into the water and drown or be eaten by water demons.

"Out of the water," he demanded. "Hurry."

Kagome noticed the change in his tone and immediately went to shore and set Shippo down. She put Hikari in the fox kit's arms, then grabbed her bow and aimed for the water. "I don't see anything, Inuyasha. Where is it?"

"Where's what?"

"The demon!"

"Demon? There's a demon? Where?" His sword was drawn.

The tip of Kagome's arrow dropped towards the ground, and she turned to him in confusion. "Isn't that why you got us out of the water?"

When Kagome realized there was no demon, Inuyasha got his second 'sit' of the day. This time she did leave him. She took Shippo and Hikari and started back to the village. Probably to go complain about him to Sango. Once the spell freed Inuyasha he followed them. He would have to explain to Kagome what happened. He didn't want to, but he was sure she was going to want to talk about this. He wasn't looking forward to it.

Mostly because it meant that Kagome was right. 

Hey Pup,

Don't you worry, I won't let anyone ferberize you. You'll always be safe, so you don't have to worry about being alone or scared or anything. Try not crying so much at night, though. Your brother is having nightmares of wild animals carrying you away. Which they won't, so don't worry.  


I don't want to every have to say 'no' to you. I want you to have everything in the world that you want. But I want you safe more than anything. So if I have to say 'no' to you, it is because I'm doing it to keep you safe.

Love, Your Daddy

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Author's Note: I'm sure I had something important to say... but for the life of me I can't remember what. But I did want to thank everyone for your reviews. I do appreciate them very much. You guys really make my day! 

I haven't decided how much of Hikari's life I'm going to write about.


	12. A Day of Firsts

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story (and Hikari) belongs to me.

A Day of firsts

Happy first Birthday, my sweet Hikari,

One year old already! It is so hard to believe! It seems that just yesterday you were born. You are growing so fast! And you are turning into such a pretty little girl! Everyone who sees you adores you. You melt the hearts of everyone you meet, even some of the villagers who hate demons and those with demon blood. 

I'm very very proud that you are learning so quickly…But, really Hikari, most babies have Mama or Dada be there first words. And no matter what ANYONE says, I refuse to believe that "Blades of Blood" could possibly be your first word, well... sentence. Those were just babble sounds that just sounded like words. They were.

Luckily we were able to catch almost all of today's firsts on film. I'm grateful that Miroku and Sango were interested in how the camcorder worked and were able to catch them.  


Your adoring Mama  


Tears pricked Kagome's eyes as Hikari took her first shaky step. For a moment she thought her daughter was trying to walk to her... but only for a moment. Still, she cherished that moment.

Shippo had been trying to coax the little girl into walking every day for nearly two weeks. Some days, no matter how sweet and touching of a scene it was, really began to get on Kagome's nerves. A person can only stand to hear Shippo use THAT pitch in his voice so many times before wanting to rip off their own ears. But nothing worked. Not promises of treats or toys or sweet words and promises of giving her anything she wanted.

What worked?

Kagome grimaced. If the silver hair and adorable puppy ears on her daughter's head wasn't a clue that she was Inuyasha's daughter, this certainly would.

Ramen. Hikari caught a scent of chicken flavored ramen. She had been watching Kagome make dinner, her stormy eyes sparkling with interest. But so far she hadn't been allowed to try the delicious smelling food. Too high in sodium, Kagome had told her pleading husband as he tried to get her to agree to let Hikari have a bite. Inuyasha had grumbled to Hikari as he fed her the mush in the jars that were supposed to be nutritious. She tried to keep a straight face and pretend that she didn't hear him promise the little girl that as soon as she was old enough, he was making her the biggest pot of ramen EVER and they wouldn't let mama have a bite.

When Kagome was about to give Inuyasha his cup of ramen, she gasped as she saw Hikari study her for a moment, then seemed to come to a decision and began to pull herself to her feet using Shippo hair (who was used to Hikari pulling on his hair).

"Quick!" Kagome hissed, "Get the camera!"

Miroku had been already playing with the camcorder that Kagome had brought with her on her last trip to the future (a present from her mother, but in reality was for her mother so she could make copies of the Hikari chronicles for herself), so he was quick to get it aimed on the girl.

But before the prickling behind her eyes could turn into full fledged tears, Kagome noticed that Hikari's eyes were not on her, but on the cup of ramen that she held in her hands. One step turned to two, then three. She wobbled for a moment, then her steps became surer as she made her way to her mother. She held up her chubby little arms and looked up and Kagome with wide puppy eyes and adorable ponytails... with untied bows.

"She walked!" Shippo squealed. "She took her first step!"

Suki looked disdainfully at Shippo, and made a show of ignoring the group as she went back to drawing. Her twin sister clapped happily, and Sango bounced her son on her hip as she made cheered. Inuyasha's chest was puffed out as he reached out to pat his little girl on the head. As Shippo made sure that Miroku got the feat on camera,

Kagome stared at her daughter in amazement. The quickness of her steps was a little alarming. She may not be the most experienced with babies, but she was sure that they fell once or twice when covering the distance of a couple of yards their first time walking. It must be because of her demon blood, she thought. It was the only explanation.

Hikari made a noise and made grabbing motion towards the hot cup. Kagome smiled gently down at the little girl. She looked so cute in her little red fire rat robe. Inuyasha insisted Hikari wear it whenever they go outside, though it seemed to be the child's favorite thing to wear inside as well. It was a little surprising that it was in good of shape it was considering it was also Hikari's favorite thing to chew on. And that little girl's teeth were sharper than the average baby's.

"No no, sweetie, this is for your daddy. I have some mashed carrots and peas for you. Yummmmm. You can have cake tonight when we see Obaasan. Your grandmother has a huge party planned."

The little girl made the umphing noise again and reached for the cup. Kagome smiled again, then gave it to Inuyasha. She bent to pick up her daughter to praise her for walking all on her own.

But the praise would have to wait. Hikari wasn't interested in that. She ignored her mother and looked at her father. Her eyes narrowed as he pried open the lid from his cup of ramen.

"MINE!" Hikari bellowed angrily.

The word was clear as a bell and stopped everyone in their tracks. They weren't the burbbly sounds they were used to her making as if testing out how sound worked. Kagome was torn between parental pride of her child's first word, or mortal embarrassment at her choice of word. At least it wasn't one of Inuyasha's swear words, she consoled herself. A part of her mind wondered which word to put in the baby book as her first word...? 'Blades of Blood' or 'Mine'?

When no one moved to give Hikari the cup of noodles, she narrowed her pretty eyes, clenched her tiny fists, and let out a mighty roar.

"MIIIIIIIIIINE!"

Strangely, Inuyasha looked even more proud of Hikari. But lucky for him, he kept the cup of noodles out of her reach. Instead, he scooped her up and swung her around. The motion distracted her from the noodles and sent her into a bout of giggles. Inuyasha had barely stopped moving when Shippo jumped on to his shoulder.

"Wow! She sure can yell!" the fox kit said admiringly.

"Keh. Takes after her mother."

"WHAT?"

"Did you see her walk, Inuyasha? She did so great!"

"She sure did. She'll be running before long. You better have caught that on tape, monk. We'll show it at her party tonight."

She'd be... running? Kagome felt a little dizzy. Hikari was fast enough just crawling! She could barely keep up as it is, what would she do now that the little girl could move even faster? Sango and Miroku's hut was fairly baby proofed for their kids, but what about their home? Do they have things out of her reach now that she could stand and walk? She wasn't worried about her mother's place. That house was baby proofed before Hikari was even born. How would she keep her from running into the woods and into the waiting jaws of some demon when her back was turned for a moment? Or some demon hating villager who happens to wander into their village? Walking around she would be much easier to pluck from the ground by flying demons! Kagome began to hyperventilate.

Would she survive motherhood?

"Why does Hikari get two parties?" demanded Suki as she threw down her crayons. "She had a party yesterday! She got presents YESTERDAY! Why does she get two? I only got one! AND I HAD TO SHARE WITH HER!" She pointed angrily at Yuki, who then began to cry.

Yuki's crying got her little brother crying. Toutoi's crying got Hikari to start wailing. Hikari's tears panicked both Shippo and Inuyasha. Kagome watched as Inuyasha scooped up his daughter and tried everything he knew to comfort her. She went to his side and tried making cooing noises at the baby while he bounced her and patted her and made funny faces. Shippo climbed up to her shoulder and tried as well. But as long as the others were crying, she wouldn't be calmed. Miroku watched the scene with a serene calmness that Kagome didn't understand. Maybe he was just enjoying the sound of all the little voices.

"Will you do something about your brat?" snapped the dog demon.

The temperature in the room dropped ten degrees, and every single eye went to Sango, who had frozen in the middle of trying to comfort Toutoi. Even Hikari, the youngest, didn't even sniffle as the demon slayer's eyes narrowed at Inuyasha.

"What. Did. You. Say?"

Kagome prayed he didn't answer her.

But he did. 

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"Really, Inuyasha," Kagome scolded as they walked (and limped) towards the well. "How am I supposed to explain to Mama that the reason we are late to Hikari's very first birthday party is because you picked a fight with our best friends." 

Inuyasha growled. "Hey! If their brat hadn't started whining and throwing a tantrum then Hikari wouldn't have been so upset!" 

Kagome paused a minute. Either she agreed with him that it was the monk's kid who started the whole thing, or she'd try to make him apologize. And he wasn't apologizing! He's not the one who threw the first punch. Some help Miroku was. Asking his wife to please not get blood on the floor while he took all the kids outside was not helping. Shippo had taken an interested Hikari, and Kagome was saying some stuff on the sidelines, but he hadn't really paid attention during the fight. He didn't think Sango did either. Mostly all he did was block blows. It wasn't really a fair fight. She had no weapons and wasn't dressed in her fighting gear. Motherhood, however, hadn't dulled any of her hand to hand combat skills though. He rubbed his cheek and wondered if he actually bruised with that last hit.

"Inuyasha," she said gently, making him suspect that a lecture was coming, "You can't call other people's children 'brats'. Especially Sango's kids. And most especially in front of her." 

"But Suki started it," Shippo said, defending Inuyasha's actions. The kid came in handy sometimes. But then he frowned. "Inuyasha calls ME a brat ALL the time!" 

Kagome sighed. "I know, and it isn't a very nice thing to do or say."

"HE calls ME an idiot all the time! And he IS a brat!"

Maybe they should try to cut the party short. He hoped Kagome wasn't getting sick, but it looked like she might be coming down with something. She seemed to be rubbing her temples a lot today. When she spoke, her voice was tight. Maybe her throat was hurting too. "Calling people an 'idiot' isn't a nice thing to do either. But Shippo is a kid."

"You call me an idiot too, though." 

"THAT'S BECAUSE YOU..." she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply before blowing out the breath. "It isn't a very nice thing when I do it either," she said through gritted teeth. 

Inuyasha grinned. It wasn't often his mate admitted to being wrong. He plucked Hikari from her arms merrily and lowered her down until her feet touched the grass. Shippo scurried behind her to make sure she didn't fall. The headache apparently went away as Kagome took one of Hikari's hands and he took the other and they made their way slowly to the well. His brilliant daughter, however, didn't even wobble as she walked slowly, but with great joy. Well, maybe once, but that was really Shippo's fault for assuming she was going to fall and startled her into wobbling. 

"I wish I could go to Kari's party, too," sighed Shippo as they reached the well. "I bet it would be a lot of fun." 

"Meh. Only if you like cake and ice cream and a bunch of other noisy brats."

"I LOVE CAKE AND ICE CREAM!"

"Inuyasha... you can't call the other babies 'brats', remember?"

"You ain't never even had ice cream, brat." 

"But if it goes with cake I'd love it because CAKE IS SO GOOD!" 

"Inuyasha! No calling the other babies 'brats'! Promise me!"

"Can you bring me ice cream back?"

"Keh. If I don't eat it all."

"KAGOME!"

"INUYASHA!"

"What?" He looked over at his wife in confusion, wondering why she looked like she was two steps away from going into purifying mode. He looked around, but didn't see what she could be so upset about.

H e watched as she took a calming breath. She counted to ten, which had him a little worried. Her counting to ten hardly ever worked. How in the world was counting supposed to keep you from getting mad anyhow? Generally it just irritated him when he had to count. It reminded him of all those math assignments that used to make Kagome wake up in a cold sweat, and occasionally screaming in fear. How in the world would she think that numbers was going to calm her was beyond him. And the deep breaths she was doing never helped him either. All it did was overwhelm him with the scents around him, and since whatever was around him was what was getting him mad, it was just going to make him even madder. 

"Inuyasha," she said in a quiet voice, "What would you do if someone called Hikari a brat?"

"WhaWHAaaWwho...?" The rest of the sentence was lost in his haze of anger. "Who dared called her that? WHO?" He looked around for the monster who would call his sweet little girl a brat. "I'LL KILL THEM!"

"BRAT?" screeched Shippo. "It's not true! Don't listen to them, Kari! You are a sweet angel!"

"Tell me, Kagome! Who said it?"

"I'll bite his head off!" Shippo snarled, more vicious looking than Inuyasha had ever seen him. Ever red hair was standing on end, even his tail, and his green eyes glowed with anger. Well just too bad. Shippo could bite whatever he wanted with the scraps that were left when HE was done with them! 

But instead of coming forth with a name, Kagome just took Hikari back from him and sighed. She leaned against the edge of the well and watched them as they made plans to slaughter the person who would say such things about the light of their lives. 

"Calm down, you two," she told them. "No one called Hikari a brat. But do you see now how someone could get mad when you call their child a name like that?"

Shippo's fur smoothed somewhat. "No one called her a bad name?" Then he was back to himself and cooing to Hikari that of course no one would call her a brat because she was such sweetie. The babytalk got a bit much for Inuyasha, but at least his rage started calming. 

"You tricked me?" he asked suspiciously.

"I didn't trick you...I just asked what you would do if someone said to Hikari that you said to Suki."

"But Suki IS a brat and Hikari is not." Kagome patted the spot beside her for him to rest beside her. He didn't trust it. That nearly always meant that a lecture was about to happen. "We'll be late for her party," he said in what he hoped wasn't an obvious attempt to escape scolding. Shippo noticed what was about to happen and squeaked out a 'goodbye' and disappeared. Brat.

"Inuyaaaasha..."

"SIT!" 

Inuyasha flinched, but didn't fall. First he noticed that Kagome was laughing hysterically with a giggling Hikari. Then it dawned on him that it wasn't Kagome's voice that issued to command. Great. Of all the words for Hikari to pick up... At least when Kagome started her lecture, she was in a much better mood. He smiled at her, he couldn't help it. She really was beautiful. How had he gotten so lucky to have her, and to have Hikari. Hikari... a little bit of both of them. 

"Are you even listening to me?"

"Keh, of course." 

She looked skeptical, but at least she didn't outright call him a liar. "I said, Suki is just feeling a little jealous and left out. Not only does she have to share everything with her sister, but she just got a brand new little brother who takes up a lot of Sango and Miroku's attention. And it is especially tough on her with Hikari there to also compete with for the attention. So if she starts throwing a temper tantrum or doing anything that seems a little 'bratty', just... try to cut her a little slack. It isn't easy being an older sister. Do you understand?"

"Yeah, I got it."

"So you'll not call Suki a 'brat' anymore?"

He rolled his eyes. "I'll try." He couldn't reeeeeally actually promise that. 

"And no calling any of the kids at the party a brat either," she said. 

He sighed and eventually nodded. 

Then he kissed his mate... just because he could. 

Hey Pup,

Happy first Birthday!  


It'll be tough figuring out how to get all your gifts back into the house. We made three trips to get them all. And some were left in the future with your grandmother for the nursery she has set up for you there. I even took pictures of your face covered in icing. Hey, I think that's a great way to eat cake too. Don't know why everyone got all cranky about it. But at least we got a whole cake to ourselves, eh pup?  


Oh yeah, be easy on your cousin Suki. You're mom thinks she's a brat too, but we just aren't supposed to say so. The kid gets jealous real easy since she's not nearly as special as you are and can't compete.  


Daddy

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Author's Note: I couldn't remember what I originally named one of the characters, so I decided to try and find my story on fanfiction. I had no idea there were so many stories with Kagome and Inuyasha having a baby! I haven't read any of them, and though I was tempted to peek at some, I decided to hold off reading any of them until I was finished with this story. 

Thank you so much for your reviews. I do appreciate them very much. You guys really make my day!


	13. Big Bad Wolf

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story (and Hikari) belongs to me.

Big Bad Wolf

My sweet Hikari,

I love you, my dear sweet baby. I'm so grateful for every moment you are in my life. You are our treasure.

I see so much of your father in you sometimes. I love you both dearly, and you both put many gray hairs on my head. My hair will be as white as your father's by the time you are grown. You both are so smart, too. You soak up new words with amazing speed. Even some of your father's words that we will work on getting you out of the habit of saying. Of course, it would help if everyone didn't think it was hysterical every single time you say them.

Keeping up with you is going to be a full time job from now on. 

Now sweetie, don't' forget that we are always here for you no matter what. Remember that. Wherever life takes you, you can always come home to us.   


Your Loving Mama  


"You ain't a real demon," scoffed an annoying young wolf demon cub with flame red hair and eyes as blue as ice. Not to mention a rotten personality. The meanie. "You were raised by a human and a hanyou!"

"Shut up!"

"Make me! You gonna go cry to your human, widdle kit?"

Shippo clenched his fists in tight little balls and glared at Kouga's son. The young wolf was always picking fights every time he came with his father to come see his mama. Though the jerk was always sure to speak about Kagome with respect and warmth in his father's presence. Manipulative brat. Unfortunately Shippo wasn't allowed to hit him either. He wasn't supposed to hit kids younger than him, even if they were loud mouthed jerks like Ban. Even in his anger, Shippo snickered at the nickname. Kouga had arrogantly named his son 'Bantan', meaning 'everything', but 'Ban' meant 'barbarian'. His little sister had accidently given the wolf a nickname that he absolutely detested the first time she said his name.

"Come on and fight me!"

"You no yell Pipo!" She came out of nowhere and launched herself at the wolf demon, tiny (not to mention razor sharp) teeth sinking into his arm. Ban fell to the ground and yelped, Hikari growled and shook her head with his arm firmly in her teeth. Eventually (too soon in Shippo's opinion) she let go and he jumped back up and stared at his bleeding arm in disbelief.

"OW!"

"Pipo my brudder! Mine! Bad Ban! BIG BAD WOLF SIT!"

The almost but not quite two year old looked exactly like a chibi angry Kagome as she pointed at him, even with her white hair and puppy ears. He couldn't help grin at her, and at the stupid look on Ban's face when he sat on command when she ordered him to 'sit'. It wasn't magic, he was simply responding to the absolute authority in her voice. Hikari didn't get mad often, but when she did, she practically burned with it. Shippo was glad that Inuyasha liked to tell Hikari the fairytales that involved Big Bad Wolves nearly every night. Kagome may roll her eyes at his choice of bedtime story, but he was glad of it. Ban was nothing but a pain.

Shippo laughed out loud when his little sister grabbed on to him ferociously with her tiny arms, obviously claiming him as her possession. He didn't mind. He hugged her back then stuck his tongue out at the infuriated wolf cub.

Then they disappeared. 

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Bantan was in tears when he found his father arguing with Hikari's. They always argued. Just like him and Shippo. Usually the last thing he would do was get in the middle of it the grown ups' fight, he would ignore it like everyone else ignored it. But not this time. He raced right past his mother who was politely talking with Hikari's mother.

He needed his dad.

And possibly Hikari's dad too.

"FATHER!" He threw himself at his father's legs. He hadn't meant to start crying, it just sort of... happened. Good thing his brothers weren't here to see this or he would never live it down.

His father's eyes narrowed slightly, such childish behavior wasn't acceptable, he knew that. Especially in front of the hanyou. Bantan tried to pull himself together, but he couldn't stop the tears or the jagged shuddering breaths he managed to take. Hikari was gone... and it was all his fault. Shame burned in him. Bravely he raised his eyes to Hikari's father. But Inuyasha had already stiffened and was sniffing the air. Then he was gone, shouting Hikari's name before Bantan could even say a word.

He watched as Kagome's head snapped around the moment she heard her mate yell out Hikari's name. The herbs she was gathering fell to the ground with the basket as she leapt to her feet. There was a roar, and Bantan felt like he was shrinking. He wouldn't live to see the sun set... he just knew it. He had expected his father to scold him, or punish him, or even send him out to let Inuyasha deal the punishment. He hadn't expected his father to stand in front of him protectively.

His mother ran to Kagome's side. The women searched the area while Inuyasha... something was really really wrong with Inuyasha. There was a pulsing in the air, and the hanyou seemed to change. The ground around him was suddenly torn and ravaged. Kagome looked pale and stricken. His mother held her... or held on to her. Kagome was shrieking and his ears hurt from the sound. The tears wouldn't stop.

His father frowned down at him.

"Talk."

Bantan shakily took a breath. He tried to be brave. He tried to speak without sobbing. He was failing miserably. "H...Hikari... she's gone."

"What happened? The truth. Every detail. Hurry Bantan!"

As best he could he told his father how he had teased the fox demon. He wasn't proud of it, but teasing Shippo was sort of fun. Usually the kit would get mad then Hikari would get mad and then they'd all end up in a fun game of chase. He showed the bite mark, a little embarrassed that Hikari's teeth had even left a mark at all.

"She just disappeared, father. She was just... gone." Then he dropped to the ground and started sobbing. "I'm sorrrrryyy!"

"Shush!" It wasn't a comforting tone, it was a demand. He shushed when he realized that his father didn't want any attention drawn to him. But the hanyou saw him anyhow and made a horrible sound. Then he was suddenly in front of his father, glaring at him with hatred in his now blood red eyes. Bantan shivered in fear. Was he going to die?

"Where. Is. My. Daughter?" Each word was biting, snarled out between huge fangs that Bantan had never seen on the dog demon before. How was it possible for fangs to grow like that? And his eyes… what happened to Inuyasha's eyes? They were red as blood!

His lip trembled, but his voice was suddenly lost.

"He said she bit him then just disappeared. Now back off, dog. Don't you DARE threaten my son!"

Suddenly Bantan was scooped up by his mother. He was sick with fear. Sure the dog demon was frightening, but he was more afraid that Hikari was gone forever, and that it was his fault.

"No one is threatening anyone," Kagome said, a hand on her mate's arm. She looked terrified, but nearly sounded calm. Though her voice shook a little and her eyes will filled with tears. She might have fooled a human though. Her voice was pleading and strained when she turned to him. "We just need to know exactly what happened. Hikari and Shippo are both missing. So chances are they are together. Please, Bantan, please tell us everything."

He did.

But there wasn't much to tell. Not really. Hikari and Shippo just disappeared in the blink of an eye. They were there, and then they were gone.

Inuyasha leapt away in search of his daughter before he had even finished. Kagome's eyes were never still as she scanned the area as she listened to what he had to say. His mother handed him back to his father with strict instructions that he was not be left alone, then she followed Kagome to hunt for Hikari. His father told the monk and the slayer what had happened as they came running. The destruction that Inuyasha was creating as he searched was not missed by the people in the village. Sango hopped onto her firecat as Miroku went back to the village to get a search party together.

Bantan felt like the worst creature in the world. He cradled his injured arm. The only one who had punished him was Hikari... and now she was gone. 

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Kagome had never felt her heart beat so hard. Her chest hurt and her hands trembling. Visions of demons carrying off her children danced through her head. The threat of Naraku may be gone, but he wasn't the only evil out there. She was going to be sick.

But Bantan had seen no monsters. Inuyasha would have smelled a demon from miles away. Hikari had only been a few yards away from them. Her eyes had only been off her for a moment while she was showing Ayame the herbs that she had gathered for her to help with her morning sickness. The boys had been arguing as usual, and Hikari had been coloring on a sheet of paper. Then she was gone. Gone… Just like that.

Her eyes burned with tears as she held the drawing to her chest. Hikari loved to draw, like Shippo. The tears came again.

They had searched for hours. The sun was setting, but there was no sign of Hikari. No sign of a demon attack. No sign of wild animals anywhere near the area they were visiting in. Nothing more dangerous than a couple of foxes. Real foxes, not fox demons.

She felt like she was dying inside. Her heart was grieving and her soul screaming, hating her helplessness. Terror built inside her until the scream bubbling inside of her came out.

Where was her baby?

Where was Shippo?

Were they safe?

Were they... alive?

Please let them be alive.

Please don't let them be hurt or scared.

Please bring my babies back to me.

Kagome held the paper closer and began sobbing out the names of her children, rocking back and forth. She felt the ground move and heard a soft thump. Inuyasha was back. He wrapped her in her arms and held her tight. He was trembling. She held on to him with what strength she had left. She didn't have to ask him if he had found her. It was obvious that he hadn't. Neither could speak. All they could do was hold each other in desperation.

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It wasn't easy convincing Kagome to go back to the future to rest, but he managed to drag her to the well. Neither of them could bear to step foot into their home. Every single thing in their home reminded them of the children who were gone. Kagome's anguished cries were tearing him apart. Her eyes were red and swollen, she couldn't eat, could barely move. He ached for her... and for himself. The loss of the children left him feeling hollow and in pain. He would continue searching on his own, after he took Kagome to her mother to comfort her and make her get some sleep. She needed rest. Three days with no sleep, with constant searching, it was wearing her down. Her voice was raw and hoarse from yelling for the little ones. And from crying. She was scaring him. And he was terrified that he would lose her too.

The only thing keeping him sane was the knowledge that Shippo was with Hikari. He would protect her with his life, Inuyasha was sure of it. The kit was completely devoted to her.

Keep her safe, Shippo. Then he prayed, keep them both safe.

What confused him, scared him, was that there was no trace of them. It truly was as if the children had simply vanished.

Where could they be?

He lifted Kagome and held her close as he leapt down the well. The magic of the well brought them quickly to the future. When Kagome was asleep he would leave and continue the search. Sango and Miroku were continuing on, as well as Kouga and his entire clan, Jinenji (the gentle giant had burst into tears himself before bolting from his home to search for Hikari), and every man and half the women in Kaede's village. Even his own brother was searching for her. Though how the cold hearted demon found out, Inuyasha didn't know.

He didn't have the time or energy to spare to bother knocking on the door. Kicking it open, he went inside. Then he nearly dropped Kagome.

"Hikari..."

The little girl grinned happily from the kitchen doorway and waved her spoon at him. Her blue-grey eyes twinkling as she told them, "Ice cream!"

Inuyasha and Kagome stared at their daughter, frozen. This couldn't be real.

"Save me some!" Kagome and Inuyasha turned in shock to see Shippo leaving the living room and heading to the kitchen. "Hey," he greeted them without looking up from the game machine in his hands. "This place is great! No wonder Kagome keeps coming back!"

The spell was broken, and Kagome leapt from Inuyasha's arms and enveloped her daughter in a hug, causing the girl to squeal (and give her hair a nice dollop of strawberry ice cream shine). Inuyasha watched as Kagome kissed her daughter and hugged her. His knees went weak and he was shaking so badly he could barely stand.

"There you two are," said Mama Higurashi's voice, "We were wondering where you were. We were quite surprised to see Hikari and dear little Shippo in the living room all alone. Where..."

The scolding he was sure was coming stopped when he dropped to his knees and hugged Kagome and his daughter from behind, resting his head on his mate's shoulder he finally allowed his own tears to come in a sob of relief.

His family... safe... they were safe... He reached out and grabbed Shippo to pull him into the hug. He was never letting any of them out of his sight for even a second again.

"Hey! Stop! It's a boss fight! Let go! I've almost got him beat this time." Shippo struggled to keep his hands on the controller buttons, but it slipped from his hands and fell to the floor as Inuyasha hugged a little tighter. "Aw man! I woulda beat him!"

Kagome started crying again. In a way he was glad, because it hid the sound of his own. Safe. They were alive and safe.

Hikari squirmed to be let loose, and Shippo struggled to reach his hand held gaming device. Reluctantly they let the children loose. Inuyasha continued to hold Kagome as she continued to cry into his shoulder. His heart warmed when he saw his daughter stop from her trek to the kitchen and come back to them. She pat her mother's hand.

"Be okay," she assured her mother, then reached up to pat her cheek. "All be okay. Good girl. Good Mommy." The tone was so similar to the tone Kagome used when the little girl needed comforting that he nearly laughed out loud.

So much joy was bubbling up inside him that he felt like he might burst.

Over some warm tea, Mama Higurashi told them how she came home from shopping and found the kids all alone in the living room. Hikari had been showing Shippo the remote to the television when they came in. Shippo interrupted her story and excitedly told them about the game machine his uncle Souta let him have. After talking about the game he was playing, he eventually told them how Hikari had grabbed them, there was a flash of blue, then they were in the living room of Kagome's coolest house EVER! Hikari simply grinned at them as she banged happily on the table with two spoons.

"Hikari brought them here," Kagome said in wonder. "How?"

"Perhaps because of how many times you traveled through the well while you had her inside. It is possible the magic touched her."

"You know Hikari," Souta said fondly as he tied a ribbon at the base of the haphazard braid he weaved in Hikari's hair, "She soaks up everything! Look how fast she learned to walk and talk. She's the smartest baby in the world!"

"Smart baby!" Hikari agreed as she swung her head to feel the braid whip around. She giggled when it hit Shippo, and shook her head harder to make the two braids fly (only making herself a little dizzy in the process).

"Well," said Kagome, "I suppose that's possible. But I've been through that well millions of times, and I haven't soaked up any magic."

Her mother shrugged and sipped her tea. "Perhaps because Hikari was still forming while you traveled."

"Now Hikari can come see us any time she wants to!" Souta said happily as he tied her two braids together, making a hoop. He held it out and Shippo made a basket with his wadded up napkin.

Inuyasha (who grabbed Hikari from her uncle and brother before they could make more baskets) and Kagome looked at each other in horror. Once, their fear had been that Hikari wouldn't be able to time travel... now their fear was that she could apparently travel without the use of the well. How do you keep up with a child who can travel through time at will? Maybe Kaede could make the kid some sort of necklace to put a stop to it, or at least let them know when she leaves so they can track her down.

Inuyasha rubbed a hand over his eyes. Could Hikari take ANYONE through time? She was too young to understand the dangers. What were they going to do? This certainly wasn't covered in any of the parenting books he had read.

"Let's think about it in the morning," Kagome said gently as she touched his hand.

As always, his mate's touch calmed him.

They made a sleeping area in the living room for all of them. Hikari may have her own room, and Shippo may have been bunking with Souta, but Inuyasha wanted his whole family with him. Souta brought his own pillow and blanket and joined them. Even Kagome's grandfather and mother stayed with them for awhile, at least to listen to the story that Hikari had begged her father to tell before bed.

"Once upon a time," Inuyasha said in a low voice, nearly at a growl, "There was a pretty little girl in red and a big bad wolf..." 

Hikari,

You are NEVER allowed to do whatever it is that you did to get to your grandmother's without letting me or your mother know unless your life is in mortal danger. NEVER! And you're not to speak with that wolf brat of Kouga's either. He's a bad influence. In fact, you're not to ever leave my sight again. I need to know where you are at ALL times. It is the only way I can keep you safe. And no more taking Shippo to the future. The little runt will wreak havoc on all of Tokyo, not to mention freak everyone out. You have to be careful being a demon in the modern world. You can't just run off without hiding your ears or tail or whatever.  


I love you and it would kill me if anything happened to you. I would do anything to keep you and your mother safe.

Daddy 

P.S. Your mother reminds me that it isn't polite to call your brother a runt. And that I'd do anything to keep him safe, too.  


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Author's Note: Happy New Year! Hope everyone had a nice holiday and made their resolutions for the New Year. One of mine is to finish two of my current stories before I post any new ones (though it is tempting since I've been jotting down more ideas).


	14. A String of Pearls

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story (and Hikari) belongs to me.

A String of Pearls

My sweet Hikari,

Mama always said that every woman should own at least one set of pearls. Yours just came a little early. Shippo insisted on being the one to choose which pearls were used for your very own unique rosary. The whole family, including Sango and Miroku and their kids, went searching for the pearls. The fangs were your father's idea. There are three. One is your father's. One is Shippo's. And one from your uncle Sesshomaru. That one was a surprise. Rin had told him of the rosary we were making for you, she often comes to babysit Sango's children, and he came by the hut, stood there and ripped out a fang, and said that you are under his protection. How he managed to do that without a lisp is beyond me!  


I don't have fangs, or I would have included one of mine as well. Instead, I threaded the beads and poured all my love into making it as pretty as I could. And it is my magic, with Kaede's help, that will give the rosary its power.  


We thought long and hard about what command to give the rosary. Our first thought was to give the command for you to return. But decided that there would be too many risks with that one. We wouldn't know what circumstances we were pulling you from, and if it might cause problems we can't foresee. Keep in mind that we are trying to think of everything that could go wrong before placing the spell on the rosary. Blurting out the first word that comes to mind doesn't always work out too well. In the end, we decided to put a sort of a tracing spell on it, so that we would always know where you are. Since it is my spell, it only works for me. You can thank me for that later when you start dating and your father doesn't 'happen' to show up everywhere you go.  


Yes, I know, you don't like the idea of being given a command. But keep in mind that as your parents, we do need to know where you are so we can keep you safe. And you are in the unique position of being able to be in more than one world. When you are old enough, the tracing spell will come off of the rosary.   
  


Your Loving Mama  


Making the rosary had been nicer than she could have imagined. More than nice. It had been heartwarming and full of extreme gooshy moments that made her eyes brim with happy tears. Watching Shippo study each and every pearl for the rosary made her heart give a little squeal of joy. The fangs had been a little odd for her, but they were sweet as well. And likely very powerful. After all, it was Inuyasha's father's teeth that made the swords of Inuyasha and Sesshomaru. And here Hikari would have teeth from three very strong demons... in their own way. Her mother had donated her own mother's necklace (one Kagome had broken as a child) of beads to scavenge for parts.

Kagome touched one of the fangs, marveling at how Sesshomaru had taken her hand and placed his tooth in her hand with an icy glare before vanishing once more. The teeth held some importance that she couldn't quite grasp, but appreciated anyhow. Somehow she managed to not giggle when she saw the three demons with matching gaps in their teeth. Luckily demons grew their teeth back quickly.

Every little bit about the rosary was something that would one day be a cherished memory. Kagome had taken all the pieces and wove together an intricate pattern of that was both sturdy and delicate looking. Perhaps she had a future in jewelry making...

Kaede provided Kagome with the magic spell she would need to weave into the rosary as she made it. All that was required now was to give it a command as she placed it around her daughter's neck.

"How about 'stay'," suggested Miroku as they were walking to next village to investigate a minor demon infestation. Cricket demons were eating the rooftops off of the huts.

Kagome joined Inuyasha and Shippo as they glared at the monk. It was on the tip of her tongue to snap at him that her daughter was not a dog. Then clamped her jaw shut. After all, Inuyasha's command was 'sit', and she really didn't want to bring up a sore subject.

Hikari, however, seemed to enjoy the command. "Stay!" she ordered as she pointed to Miroku. The monk held up his hands and froze. This set Hikari to giggling, and this time she pointed to Shippo. "Stay!" Shippo froze in as comical of a pose as he could manage and still remain standing. "Stay!" She gave the order to her father, but he gave a rumbling mock growl, scooped her up, and tickled her instead.

"We need to think about what we want the command to do," Kagome reminded them as she shifted the weight of her stuffed yellow backpack. The trip would be overnight, and it helped to prepare for any eventuality. Hikari had four outfits packed... just in case. Potty training had not yet been completely successful, so big girl pull ups were also included. Not to mention all the ramen.

"We want her to come back," said Inuyasha between the raspberry sounds he was making as he blew on a shrieking Hikari's belly. "Right?"

"But what if we are in battle?"

Kagome blinked. She would have expected the logical question to have come from Miroku, but she shouldn't have been surprised at Shippo's thinking. When it came to Hikari, Shippo was always concerned with safety. He had even been trying to teach her fox magic, but so far hadn't had much luck.

Inuyasha stopped blowing and started tossing his daughter in the air. Kagome tried not to watch. Though Hikari loved it, seeing her little girl get launched into the air gave her panic attacks. Happy as she was that Inuyasha finally got over thinking that his daughter was so fragile that a strong gust of wind might do her in, she wasn't loving the 'let's see what we can do to make Hikari squeal with delight' phase. Especially since her daughter seemed to delight in flying through the air. "Well," he said as he caught Hikari and gave her a swing before shooting her up in the air again, "What about if we only use it when we aren't stupid enough to try to call for her during a battle?"

"That would work," said Kagome as she kept her eyes firmly ahead, "Though pulling her from the future blind might cause problems, too. What if people saw? What if she steadying a ladder for grandpa when we pulled her and he lost his balance and fell? We have to careful."

"How are we supposed to know what she's doing?" complained Inuyasha, "Its not like we can see what she's doing. We won't even know where she is!"

"That's it!" exclaimed Kagome, spinning around just in time to gasp in horror as Hikari came plummeting towards the ground. Of course Inuyasha caught her, but her heart still felt like it might have sprained itself. "We need a tracing spell," she said when her heart started beating again and she remembered her great idea. "A spell so we'll know where she is."

"How would that work?" asked Miroku.

She deflated a little bit, disappointed that her great idea might not have been so great after all.

"That's easy," shrugged Inuyasha. "It will be like with Kagome, like how I just know where she is or if she's in trouble. What?" he grumbled at Kagome's incredulous look, "You think all those millions of times I showed up at JUST the right moment was all luck? I just know. Something just tells me where you are."

"Your spidey-sense is tingling..."

"My what?"

She grinned, "Nothing, Inuyasha. I think I get what you mean. So the spell would just let me know where she is. Maybe let me know if she is in danger?"

"Will the spell allow such a thing?" wondered Miroku aloud.

"What word will you use?"

"I don't know Shippo. It probably shouldn't be an everyday word. I mean, I sometimes really regret using the s - i - t word. Do you know how often that word is used in every day conversation? Sometimes the word just slips out and poor Inuyasha... So though it is tempting to use an everyday word so I'll be able to keep tabs on Hikari every second of her life, when she gets a little older she is going to want a little privacy. And as difficult as it may be, I want to respect her privacy as much as possible. I didn't have time to think about a good command the first time I used a rosary, so this time I want to do better."

Inuyasha grumbled under his breath about stupid commands, but he never asked for the rosary to be taken off, or even for the spell to be dissolved.

"Let's see..." she held her hands out for her daughter, and Hikari threw herself into her mother's arms with joyful abandon. Shippo, who asked to be carried less and less, hopped up onto Inuyasha's shoulder to make faces at his sister. "What is another word for 'see' or 'find'?"

"Um..." Shippo thought hard. "Seek? Like in Hide and Seek!"

Kagome smiled, "That is a very sweet suggestion."

"Yeah, but the runts play that game all the time. I thought you said you wanted one we wouldn't be using all the time."

"Descry," suggested Miroku. He smiled at the three blank faces looking at him. "It means to 'to detect'. It wounds me that you look so surprised. I am a learned man, after all."

Inuyasha grumbled something rude about the type of 'learned' man that Miroku was, as Kagome made nonsense sounds at Hikari to distract her. The little girl did NOT need to pick up any more of Inuyasha's more colorful words and phrases. 'Descry' did seem like a good word though. It meant exactly what they wanted to say, and it wasn't a word she used every day (or ever really).

"Descry it is," She said.

Kagome began to softly say the chant as she lifted the beads. No time like present to go ahead and get this over with. They had argued back and forth about the need for the beads. Though they hated the idea of it, they hated the panic of not knowing what time period their daughter was in. It was a necessary evil. The beads were finished yesterday, and Kagome had let Hikari play with them to get her used to them so she wouldn't be so spooked by them. The little girl had chewed on them, whipped them around like her daddy used a sword, then had grown bored with them and had gone to draw pictures with Shippo. One more word and the spell would be complete. Stormy eyes widened then narrowed as the rosary touched soft white hair.

"Descry!"

But it was too late.

Hikari was gone.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Hikari made him proud.

Okay, he would have preferred that putting the stupid rosary on her would have gone faster and easier, but he was proud of how his little girl was able to keep from getting caught. She seemed more of a liquid than a solid sometimes. Not to mention the fact that she would disappear into the future and they would have to trudge all the way back to the well to go through time. Then she would disappear back right before they caught hold of the little pup. It would be a very handy skill to have to escape enemies.

"Inuyashaaaa..."

"What? I wasn't smiling!"

His mate looked puzzled for a moment, then glared at him. "I was going to say that I think we might be going about this the wrong way." She blew out a frustrated breath. "How in the world are we ever going to be able to discipline her if she can just vanish any time she wants? Maybe we should do a restraining spell after all."

He shook his head. His daughter wasn't going to be put on a leash like a dog. Even if it was a pretty pearl leash. "No. Descry is a good spell. I think we should split up."

"Split up?"

"You go to your time, I stay in mine. One of us will catch the pup."

Kagome thought it over for a moment, then nodded. "That is a good plan. If you are the one to catch her, then you have to make sure she knows that this behavior is not acceptable. You have to be firm." She tugged on his hair. "Firm, Inuyasha! I want to hear you promise."

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be firm."

He walked his mate to the well, leaving Shippo and Miroku to stay in the place where Hikari had last vanished, and watched until she and her scent disappeared. The familiar ache burned in his chest as he watched her go. When was the last time they had been separated by time? Since she promised to be his mate they had been nearly inseparable. It physically hurt to not have her near. It was the only way, he reminded himself, to make sure Hikari was safe. He turned from the well and used all of his senses to try and locate his daughter.

He was a few yards away from where he left the others when he heard a giggle and caught Hikari's scent. Both disappeared again before he got to where she was.

"I wish she would take me with her," complained Shippo. "She looks like she's having fun."

She was having fun. Somewhere along the way she had turned it into a game. He didn't want to make her cry by scolding her. But she could get herself into real trouble if she kept this up for too long. What would happen if she got too tired? What if she fell asleep or something in the middle of moving through time? Would she stay in that limbo? There was too much they didn't know about how her magic worked for him to be comfortable with her using it so often.

Hikari appeared, squealed, then disappeared again.

Inuyasha sat down. Chasing after her hadn't worked. At all. In fact, it seemed to make her work harder at evading them. He frowned at the spot where she had disappeared. He was still frowning when she appeared again. The frown caused Hikari to stop for a moment, then she giggled, spun around, then disappeared again. This time she was only gone for a few moments before she came back. She stood still and looked at the disapproving frown on Inuyasha's face. She crouched down as she had seen him do a hundred times, and studied his face. She tried smiling at him a couple of times before inching her way closer.

"Hikari," he said in a deep voice. Hikari stilled at his tone. "Sit." She sat. It was difficult not to grin at someone obeying that command from him for once. Shippo and Miroku turned their heads so she wouldn't seem them stifle chuckles.

"Daddy mad?" Her voice was tiny and innocent. She seemed fragile and all of his protective instincts were kicked into high gear. Scooting on her bottom, she came closer to peer up at him.

"Daddy sad." He corrected, careful to not stop frowning the second her little lower lip started quivering. It was probably one of the hardest things he ever had to do. Getting run through with a blade was nothing compared to not caving in to the lip quivering. "When Hikari goes bye-bye..." her term for when she transports, "It makes Mommy and Daddy very sad. It hurts our hearts."

Hikari's eyes widened, lightening as they filled with shimmering tears. "Hikari hurt Daddy?"

"It scares Mommy and Daddy when we don't know where you are. We can't protect Hikari when you go bye-bye without us. You never ever go bye-bye alone." He almost regretted what he was about to say next. But there would be times when he and Kagome would be fighting demons or some other evil that always seemed to worm out of nowhere, and he couldn't have Hikari alone. "You have to at least take Shippo. He will be responsible and protect you. And you will be responsible and protect him too."

"Pipo my sponsable ." Hikari's tears had dried, and she looked very solemn. "Pomise." She looked around until she found Shippo, who had been watching quietly She ran to him and grabbed his hand until he followed her. "Stay Hikari," she scolded him. \

Then they both vanished.

Inuyasha sighed.

Maybe Kagome would have better luck.

Hikari,

The rosary looks beautiful on you. Your mama says pearls are classic. In fact, it looks so good you should probably never take it off.  


Ever.

Even when you are fifty. Probably not even then.

I love you.

Oh, remind me to tell you about the funny story of how your brother got those tiny little scars on his ankle. Have I mentioned how proud I am of you lately? You are going to make a great warrior when you are older!  


Daddy 

P.S. You are a pretty good warrior now. But when you get a little taller you'll be UNBEATABLE!

ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Author's Note:

Thank you all for your reviews. I really appreciate them. They are a lot of fun to read and generally make my day. 

After I finished the last chapter I wondered if I should use the next one (this one) to go ahead and wrap up the story. I think I was getting a little discouraged. But I decided to take it to twenty chapters after all, just like Kagome's Baby.

I know it is common sense, but I'm saying it anyhow... Ignore any spelling mistakes in Hikari's lines. She's just a kid, give her a break.

Disclaimer Part II: (Just in case) I don't own anything spider-man related either. All things spidey sensing belong to Marvel and possibly Stan Lee or Disney. I forget who owns what these days in the Marvel world….


	15. Play Date

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story (and Hikari) belongs to me.

Play Date

Dearest Hikari,

I know we spend a lot of time in the past. But we decided long ago that we would bring you up in both worlds. I'm afraid we might have had the tendency to let you run a little wild in the past, and it is time to teach you how to get along with other children your age. Though we have all traveled frequently to visit your grandmother, we haven't done much socialization with people outside of our family. And since you WILL be going to school, it is past time we started teaching you how to behave like a modern little girl.

Good luck to us all.

Your Loving Mama  


"I really don't think you should be reading your child so many scary stories..."

It was difficult, but Kagome managed to keep a smile on her face and make a non-committal sound. This was not the first comment on what she was doing wrong as a parent. She almost regretted making Inuyasha swear to be on his best behavior. In fact, she rather regretted the decision to accept an invitation to the play date in the first place. Letting Hikari play with children her own age (closely supervised) seemed like a good idea at the time. Interaction with other kids was good, healthy even. If she was going to go to school in present time, she would need to learn to behave in social situations. However, at the moment, Kagome was leaning strongly towards home schooling. Being a hermit sounded good too.

It felt... wrong being here. She worried that teaching Hikari that she had to hide her ears would make her feel like they were something to be ashamed of. It hurt thinking that her daughter may feel like an outcast. Kagome sighed, Hikari WOULD be different from the other children. Faster. Stronger. Not to mention the cute little ears she currently had hidden by four ponytails (two in front of her ear and two behind, with the ever present bows... one somehow always untied) and the whole being able to transport through time thing.

Was she doing the wrong thing? Should they give up the idea of sending Hikari to school to get an education?

"...I overheard her tell my little Kiko that there might be demons under her bed, not monsters. Demons! Really, Kagome! You shouldn't fill that precious little girl's head with such terrifying nonsense!"

Precious. The word was said with too much sweetness. At least in the past Hikari could be herself. Here she had to listen to people make disparaging comments on her hair (if ONE. MORE. PERSON. accused her of dying her daughter's hair and giving her extension, Kagome would NOT be responsible for her actions!) or her extra sharp teeth and unusually sharp nails. Did she really want to subject her daughter to all the narrow minded people in the world who would make judgments on her looks?

And she didn't need Inuyasha's keen senses to see how the parent's have been steering their children away from Hikari.

Kagome kept her eyes on her daughter as she played in the sandbox. The little girl was patiently explaining to the last child left that they would have to cross through the river (that she dug out around the box) in order to hide their smells. She looked up into the trees and grinned happily and touched her nose. Then she explained that noses help you find things... even as the last child was being called over by his mother to come to the slide instead. Kagome's fists clenched and she was ready to take her family and head back to the past to stay, but Hikari looked at her and smiled cheerfully before going back to creating her own world in the sand. Sticks became trees, rocks became boulders and houses. Kagome relaxed a little bit when the little boy lost interest in the slide and went back to the sand box with fists full grass and sticks to help fix up Hikari's world in the sand.

"Isn't that the same... cute... red shirt she wore last time we saw your little girl?"

"It's not a shirt, actually. Her father made it for..." Kagome was interrupted before she could tell them about how precious that robe was. She would probably have left out the part of him hunting and skinning the fire rat, as well as doing the tanning himself. But she never got the chance to even let them know that he had made it for their little girl.

"I do hope you have already put her on the waiting list for Zenith Tots Academy."

"What?"

The mothers around her gasped in horror at Kagome's question.

"How can you not know?"

"It is only THE school to go to."

"She'll never get in now!"

"Oh that's dreadful."

"Poor child. But then... you didn't particularly do well in school either, did you, Kagome?"

Kagome blushed. She almost felt the weight of Inuyasha's gaze on them as he growled from the trees where he was keeping watch over them. Waving her fingers in a shooing motion she tried to signal him to stay put. Finding a play group with children Hikari's age close to home had not been easy. One of the women was even an old classmate of hers, not one of her friends exactly, but a classmate all the same. Ami had introduced her to the other women of the group. Of course, Ami made it very clear that she was MUCH too young to have kids and was a nanny while she worked her way through college. The other mothers and nannies in the play group were all several years older than her, and apparently felt that it was fine to tell her how to raise her child.

"It wasn't that I didn't do well, Ami," corrected Kagome, "I was just out sick a lot for awh..."

"Your husband didn't finish school, either, did he?"

Kagome's mouth snapped shut and her eyes narrowed. She was done being nice. The play date was supposed to be a chance for Hikari to get used to kids her own age. Rage caused her aura to flare up. If they were demons they would be burnt to a crisp. How DARE they attack Inuyasha!

"Perhaps another school would suit her. Zenith is a very competitive school, only the brightest make it in. Tinker Tots might be a better bet."

Did... did she just say that her daughter was STUPID?

"I. Have. Had. Enough."

Before she could lash out (quite possibly physically), Hikari was standing before her with her hands on her hips and glaring at the women. She climbed into her lap so fast that the other women blinked rapidly and mouths opened. She pointed at the one who had made the slight against Inuyasha and made a sound that was almost a growl.

"Sit!" Nothing happened. She pointed harder and yelled louder. "SIT!"

She looked at her mother, then glared at her finger. Kagome couldn't help but grin as the little girl shook her finger to try to get it to work. She tried the command one more time before giving up and just wagging her finger at them angrily, making a tsk tsk tsk sound.

"My mommy," she snarled at them. "Mine! You be nice to my mommy!"

Kagome pat Hikari on the head (the little girl refused to be hugged while staring down the enemy, Kagome had learned to respect that. Probably got it from her father...). The little boy she had been playing with had been pulled away by his mother and was being strapped into a stroller. The little boy waved at Hikari, but her daughter did not take her eyes of the enemy for even a moment.

"I appreciate you including us in on your play date," Kagome said with not an ounce of sincerity as she set the glaring Hikari on the ground in front of her so she could gather their belongings. She hoped the choked on the sarcasm. "But I don't think we'll be able to make it next week." She slung her backpack turned diaper bag over her shoulder. "Or... ever really."

Hikari tried kicking dirt towards the women (a bad habit she picked up from her father) before tipping her head back and hollering. "DADDY!"

WHOMP!

Inuyasha landed heavily in front of them, causing the women to squeak (one screamed and one might have fainted). He scooped Hikari up and swung her into the air. She squealed in joy as he gave her a toss before swinging her onto his shoulders. Kagome took his hand and they walked out of the park. With luck, they would never run into those women again. Though she was thrilled to get away from them, Kagome still felt disappointed that the play date had not gone well. She had hoped that Hikari would make friends. That maybe she would make friends too, other mothers with kids.

They stopped for ice cream and ate it as they walked past the museum. Kagome suggested the go inside, but Inuyasha shot that idea down quickly. Her mood improved as she giggled, remembering the time she had taken him to the museum with a group of her friends from school. He had covered her eyes when they walked past some of the sculptures. By his glare and how he practically dragged her down the street, he must be remembering too.

They had just finished their ice creams and were trying to decide how to spend the rest of the day together (Inuyasha voted for going back home) when Hikari saw the pet store. With a squeal she plastered herself to the window looking at the adorable white fluff balls in the window.

"Puppy!"

"So cute!" cried Kagome as she knelt by Hikari.

"Peas Daddy!" Without taking her eyes off the puppies, Hikari grabbed onto her father's legs. "Peas!"

"Hikari..." Inuyasha's voice held almost the same whine as the puppies. Kagome almost giggled at the sight of him trying to say 'no' to his daughter. It wasn't something he said often to her. He actually looked in pain.

Kagome looked again at the puppies. According to the sign, the cute little fluff balls were Nihon Supittsu, a Japanese Spitz...quite possibly the most adorable puppy in creation, with ears oh so similar to her daughter's. They were so cute... so impossible to resist... She looked at Inuyasha, already in love with the puppies in the window. She ached to touch their ears.

"Kagome..." He groaned. Then he sighed in defeat. "How much are they?"

The price, as it turned out, was a little too high, and they had to use another scoop of ice cream to tempt the little wailing girl away from the window. Just as they were finishing their second treats and Hikari's tears had finally dried, they saw the library. The play date may have been a failure, but they could at least make this a family fun day.

"I love the library!" Kagome gushed as they pulled Inuyasha up the stairs. "Mama used to take us to storytime when we were little."

Hikari, apparently, loved the library too. Once inside, she ran to the bookshelf shaped like an alligator and stared at the books in awe. Kagome pulled out one of the brightly colored board books and handed it to Hikari to look at, but she would only look at books that had pictures of dogs in them. Inuyasha pulled them out one at a time and handed them to his daughter. But he looked... sad.

"You okay?"

He looked away. "Think I'm too old to go to school?"

Kagome hated those awful women for making him feel bad about himself. "Inuyasha..." she said gently, "You don't have to go to school."

"Think I'm too stupid?" His voice sounded hurt, not angry. And that only made Kagome angrier at Ami and her group.

"Daddy!" scolded Hikari. "Daddy NOT stupid! Stupid not a nice word!" A librarian reminded Hikari that she needed to use her inside voice. "But..." the little girl looked worriedly at her parents... "But this my only voice..."

"You're not stupid, Inuyasha. 'Inside voice' means you need to talk quietly, sweetie." She kissed the top of Hikari's head before reaching out to squeeze Inuyasha's hand. "If you want to go to school, you can. But don't feel you have to prove anything to anyone. You are a very smart man. And I love you just the way you are."

"Hikari will be going to school soon." He dug out a book with puppies on it and gave it to his delighted daughter.

"Well... not THAT soon."

"I want to be able to help her with math," he said softly. "I want her to come to me for help. I... want... I NEED to be able to teach her."

Kagome gave Hikari another book to add to her growing pile, then tugged on a lock on Inuyasha's hair. "You teach her every day. Hikari comes from two worlds. Only you can teach her about your world." And after today, Kagome wasn't too sure she wanted her little girl growing up in this one. "Ancient History wasn't a class I excelled in," she teased.

A voice had them all sitting up.

"It's time for storytime! Follow me down to the story corner."

Inuyasha's and Hikari's ears perked up and eyes widened, Kagome grinned. It was adorable. She stood up and followed as Hikari followed the librarian like she was the Pied Piper of Hamlin. Children seemed to appear out of thin air as the area was suddenly filled with excited children and smiling moms (and two other fathers who all seemed to nod at each other in some secret man code). They sat down and listened to the first story. Hikari laughed when the other children laughed. She counted to five during the rhyme as the other children counted to five. She didn't know the words to the song, but she sang anyhow with sparkling eyes, hardly able to keep still in her excitement.

It was only when the puppet was brought out that Hikari cried and threw herself into her father's arms. Everyone was so startled by the outburst that the bear puppet stopped in mid sentence.

"She... she... bear..."

Inuyasha was rocking her back and forth and soothing his daughter, but he looked just as confused as Kagome. Hikari certainly wasn't scared of bears. In fact, a healthy fear of bears actually would be a little nice. She grabbed onto Inuyasha's hair and pulled herself up to his ear, watching the librarian in horror as she whispered.

Her father bit his lip trying not to smile.

"No, sweetie," he said. "She isn't putting her hand in a dead baby bear. It's just a toy." A few parents made gasping noises and some of the children cried 'ewwwwwww'.

Hikari needed convincing. She didn't leave her father's lap for the rest of storytime. In fact, she looked very suspiciously at the librarian, even after the puppet was put away. After they sang the good-bye song, Kagome took Hikari by the hand and told her to say 'thank you' for the stories.

"Would you like to see the puppet?" the librarian asked.

Hikari's eyes filled with tears as the lady picked up the bear puppet. "It's dead..." she whispered hoarsely and turned to her mother.

"No no no. It is full of stuffing and... oh dear..."

Burying her head in Kagome's skirts, Hikari began to sob.

Inuyasha snatched the puppet from the librarian (for which Kagome later apologized profusely) and sat down beside Hikari. He held it out to her and quietly asked her to smell it. After a bit of sniffling, Hikari was finally able to bring herself to sniff the puppet (with eyes firmly shut). But no amount of coaxing could get her to touch it. The librarian smiled, then walked away for a moment. When she came back she handed Hikari a book about making puppets.

Some of the parents came over and said hello, introducing themselves and their children. Hikari joined the other children at the coloring table. A little boy next to her said he was coloring blood on the pony picture he had. His mother was about to apologize for him when Hikari dug around in the crayon box and gave him a color that worked better for blood.

The woman whipped out her cell phone and asked if they'd like to set up a play date sometime.

As they left the building (Hikari proudly holding her very first library card and her very first borrowed book), Kagome took their picture. The camera hadn't left her purse during their original play date. That was a memory she hoped she could leave behind. But this one was one she wanted to keep. Hikari posed with her book and her card and Kagome took pictures. Then Hikari made Inuyasha sit on the ground while she sat on the steps and held the book like the librarian had and began telling the story about the baby bear who was turned into a puppet.

This. This was a moment she wanted to cherish.

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ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Inuyasha was getting sick and tired of people telling him he how to raise his child. It was bad enough those clucking hens in Kagome's time kept picking on her about Hikari, now they had to listen to the stupid wolf tell him all the things he was doing wrong as a father. Too bad he promised Kagome that he wouldn't fight with the mangy wolf today. It was hard denying Kagome anything.

A play date with the wolf demon children was a bad idea.

"She's just going to be bait for some rampaging demon if you don't teach her how to fight," Kouga said.

"Shut up, wolf." Usually he'd be more enthusiastic about fighting with his mate's ex-suitor, but he was too busy watching his daughter.

The wolf cub brothers were playing a racing game. Not only was Hikari the youngest (not counting Kouga's newest son that Kagome was cooing over), but she also had less demon blood in her. She may be faster and stronger than a human, but she was no match for a full blooded wolf demon, even a cub. The brat Ban had been slowing down to let her catch up, but the bullying of his brothers made him leave her in the dust as well. Literally. Hikari was sitting on the ground coughing on the dust the wolves left behind. Inuyasha was torn. He didn't want to hurt her pride, but all his instincts called out to him to pick her up and take her away, to shield her from this pain.

When he took a step forward she shook her head at him. Then she stood up and brushed herself off. Instead of coming to him, or going to her mother, Hikari frowned in the direction the others had run off in and bolted after them.

"She's got spirit," Kouga said approvingly.

Neither father mentioned it when they saw Shippo trip up the leader while under the disguise of a log. The fox tail was a dead giveaway though. That caused the three in the lead to all fall over themselves in a hilarious domino effect. Only Ban, who had been trailing behind, was left standing. And his sudden dramatic fall that knocked over his brothers all over again wasn't fooling anyone. Inuyasha really wanted to dislike the little punk, but he had given Hikari a chance to catch up. There was a faint glow of pink surrounding her as she gave a burst of speed and passed the pile of wolf cubs. Ban's 'clumsiness' kept knocking over his brothers before they could give chase.

"Hmmmm," said Kouga thoughtfully, "Ever think of an arranged marria..."

"No."

"Why? She's not too young to start thinking of a suitable..."

"NO."

He would not let his little girl marry a demon. Especially a wolf demon. A demon would think her too weak, and would treat her that way. He would not let anyone look down on his baby. Just look at how Kouga would talk about hanyous. What sort of vile comments would he make about the daughter of a hanyou? Would she be a target of hatred like he had been? The thought made him sick. Humans and demons alike shunned him, hated him, and very often tried to kill him. He didn't want his little girl to have to be strong to survive. Last week had had decided that it was time to start teaching Hikari to be independent and learn how to take care of herself. So, against Kagome's wishes, he had taken his daughter on a hunt just a few days ago. He didn't need Kagome's scoldings to make him feel bad... the sight of Hikari crying hysterically over the rabbit begging him to fix it just about broke his heart and would haunt him forever. He couldn't bear to see her cry like that ever again. Hikari was filled with a light of such love and joy that he couldn't tolerate the thought of seeing that light dim. And he would demolish anyone who tried!

Hikari, suspicious of her sudden lead, turned around to see the pile of wolf cubs fighting. She glared at them, in a familiar way that made Inuyasha smile, and commanded them all to 'sit'.

They sat.

Kouga dropped his head and sighed and Inuyasha couldn't help but laugh. She lectured the boys on fighting (fighting bad... bad bad bad) and told them to play nice. They looked confused for a moment, as if the word 'nice' was a foreign one. His smile faded a bit. Not every demon they came across would sit when she says to. Were they doing her more harm than good by playing along? Of course, the wolves were just acting on instinct. But Miroku and Shippo were bad about indulging her. It could be dangerous if she thought all that all she had to do to stop a rampaging demon was to point at it and tell it to 'sit'. She was going to have to learn to defend herself enough to run away. Maybe even send herself to the future to escape... once they took the rosary off of her. But Hikari seemed to be born without fear, and running away was just not an option.

He couldn't bear to put her in a position where she would learn fear, though.

Maybe Sango could help and teach her to fight as a human would fight. Sango was a strong fighter. Already she was teaching her own daughters the basics. Suki was enjoying the demon slaying training perhaps a bit too much, and Yuki seemed reluctant to fight at all. She and Miroku have been talking about training new demon slayers and bringing the home she grew up in back to life. Though Naraku was gone, there were still other dangerous demons out there. He hadn't asked before because he hadn't thought to send Hikari to her to learn to fight... but... would a girl with demon blood be welcome with those training to be new slayers? Of course Sango adored Hikari (what wasn't there to adore?), but that didn't mean that others would feel the same way.

"Dirty hanyou!"

Inuyasha's head snapped up and he growled at Kouga's second oldest son. It was Shippo, however, who knocked the cub into the dirt.

"Who's dirty now, wolf snot?" the kitsune snarled.

"What's a 'hanyou' mean?"

Ban blushed at Hikari's innocent question. He looked at her, then he looked at Inuyasha, then at his father. "Um... it means..." he looked nervously at Inuyasha again. "It means one of your parents is human... like your mama... and one of your parents is a demon."

"I'm a hanyou?" She pointed to herself with wide eyes.

The adults stopped talking, only Inuyasha's swear word was heard. They never taught her the word. He hadn't wanted her to feel the pain and humiliation he had felt growing up. The wolf had promised Kagome... PROMISED HER... that he would never say that word in front of her child. But it was his son who spoke the hated word, not Kouga. But Inuyasha still held him responsible. After all, the cub had heard the word somewhere.

Inuyasha went to his daughter and knelt beside her. "It's okay, baby," he said, "Daddy is a hanyou, too."

Her eyes gazed up at him, then she smiled and patted him on the cheek. "Okay," she said, then wiggled to get down. She glared at Kouga's second oldest son, who was getting the cold shoulder from his siblings. Then she trotted over to Shippo and excitedly told him that she was a hanyou just like her daddy. She pat his hand and told him it was okay if he wasn't a hanyou too, because she still loved him.

Wisely, Kouga's mate was gathering up her reluctant sons to take them back home. Kouga was apologizing profusely to a furious Kagome. And Inuyasha watched as his little girl proudly told anyone who would listen that she was just like her daddy.

He hoped he remembered this moment forever. 

Hey Pup,

You are going to be a great warrior someday. You are already a great hanyou.

I love you.

Daddy 

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Author's Note:

Thank you all for your reviews. I really appreciate them. I'm debating if I wanna do what I'm thinking of doing for the next couple of chapters. It is a tough decision. Part of me wants to write it, but part of me is worried about the flames I'll likely be getting over it. Decisions decisions.


	16. All Heck Breaks Loose

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story (and Hikari) belongs to me.

All Heck Breaks Loose

or

Sesshomaru's Favor

My Sweet Hikari,

It is a joy to watch you having so much fun with other children. I'm proud that you pick yourself up when you fall down and that you don't let anyone keep you down. You have a fighting spirit, just like your father. He wouldn't let anyone keep him down either.

Every time I see you, I love you that much more. Every day with you is an adventure, and I treasure each moment.

Your Loving Mama  


Kagome put down her pen and smiled at the children. At least, she hoped it looked like a smile. It is tough seeing her little girl fall, and instinct called to her to protect her little daughter from all harm. But she knew that she had to let Hikari pick herself back up and keep trying. Of course, she would never let any actual danger threaten her daughter. Not that Kagome really stood a chance of being the first one to reach her daughter if she were in danger. After all, the little girl had a demon for a brother and a half demon for a father. Both were far faster than she could ever be. The phrase "Supermom" did not mean that motherhood gave her actual powers. Dang it. With Hikari, super powers would have been helpful.

It was tough on all of them to not hover like overprotective guard dogs (in some cases, it was quite literal). Kagome wanted to wrap her in soft cotton and make sure she never had so much as a scratch on her. It hurt to know that she had to fight her instincts and let her inquisitive little one explore the world around them. Hikari would not appreciate being treated like a baby. Lately she had grown more determined that she could do things for herself, that she was a big girl. It hurt.

Just a little.

Just a tiny little bit.

Okay.

A lot.

Hikari seemed to be growing up too fast. It seemed like just yesterday she was no bigger than a baby doll. Now she made disgusted faces if she heard you call her baby. How much longer did she even have to be a toddler?

Shading her eyes against the sun, Kagome looked at Inuyasha. His fists were clenched tightly and all his senses were trained on Hikari, even though he tried to appear like he was only just mildly interested. Letting Hikari fall was just as hard on her husband. No matter how many times he told her that Hikari would have to learn to take care of herself and learn to fight against demons and humans alike and that she would have to become strong and tough... Inuyasha still hadn't been able to convince himself. She grinned at him as his ear twitched in her direction. The tiniest boo boo, so small it didn't even require a band-aid, made her poor mate would be sick with fear and rage at whatever hurt his precious little girl. Letting her out of quick grabbing range was difficult.

How would they manage watching her walk into school for the first time?

At least letting her play with Kouga's children let Hikari explore the world in a slightly different way than when she played with Sango's children. And how she played with them was different than how she was able to play with the other strictly human children of her own time, and the village children here. Hikari had to learn to be very careful when she played with the children who did not have demon blood. And when playing with the children from the future she had to make sure that no one discovered that she had unusual ears, and gifts. And though Sango's children were, for the most part, hardy and would start demon slayer training one day, Hikari still had to be very careful when she played with them.

Kagome shaded her eyes and watched as Hikari jumped up and leapt at one of Kouga's sons, (Musha, the oldest... the one who seemed to inherit all of his father's ego...) with the intent to bite his leg.

She missed.

Playing with Kouga's children let her be herself. She could be as fast as she wanted to be. She could be as strong as she wanted to be. Having her ribbons or her ponytails come undone did not mean that playtime had to come to an immediate halt so they could be fixed so those obnoxious parents in the playgroup wouldn't see that she had adorable little fuzzy ears on the top of her head. It also grounded her just a little, made her work a little harder. With the wolf cubs she was not the strongest or the fastest. It could be frustrating, but it was good to keep her from developing a super inflated ego.

It was also good for the cubs. Hikari may be smaller, but she had determination. They may win the races, but they have to work for it.

Her smile faded. Something in the air didn't feel right.

Inuyasha must have felt it too. Suddenly he was on high alert.

"Hikari!" He yelled as even the air seemed to suddenly be charged with energy. "Here! Now!"

Kagome jumped from her seat, startling the she-wolf and caused the newest wolf cub to cry. She took off at a dead run for Hikari. Shippo was already at the little girl's side in full protective mode. Something was wrong.

"What's going on?" asked a voice at her elbow.

"Get the kids!" Kagome yelled at Ayame frantically.

The wolf demon asked no more questions as she bolted towards her own children, yelling out their names. Inuyasha scooped up Hikari and Shippo, and two of Kouga's sons, Kyouko and Bantan, and ran towards Kagome. The miko saw them and immediately stopped in her tracks and began chanting a spell, forever grateful that she had been practicing her spells every day. The first one she learned was the protective barrier.

Kagome was grateful that no one seemed to be panicking. Before Inuyasha would even consider letting them leave their home, he had drilled into them all what to do when they are attacked.

When, not if.

It wasn't the first time they had been attacked, and it would hardly be the last. Things went very smoothly. Kagome was to start putting up a magical barrier as Inuyasha or Shippo (depending on who was closest) would get Hikari into the barrier. After the barrier was solidly in place, Kagome would join her mate in battle. Depending on the situation, she would either stay to his back, or stay in front of the barrier where the children were. Shippo would stay with Hikari to protect her no matter which scenario happened (and Inuyasha had MANY scenarios to go through), and to begin hooking her into a specially made harness. If the barrier was to fall, he was to transform into his pink floating ball form and get Hikari in the air for safety. Unless there were enemies in the air, then he would transform the both of them to look like stones or fallen trees until danger had passed. They only deviated slightly from their plan to include Kouga's children as well.

Ayame had hold of all of her children, save the oldest who seemed to have found a place to hide on his own. Kagome let Ayame and the children into the protective barrier before saying the final words that would seal it off. With the she-wolf demon on the inside, Kagome felt comfortable in joining Inuyasha in battle.

The demon crashing through the trees was furious that he had been detected so easily. It screamed its fury. Another appeared behind him. Then another. And another. They began swarming like ants.

There were so many! She could already see the barrier weakening as the demons filled the air with bolts of energy.

"Shippo!" she yelled without taking her eyes off the approaching enemies, "Take off the necklace!"

"What?"

"Hikari's necklace, take it off her." She turned her attention to her daughter. There were too many demons, and it was too dangerous. They had an escape plan now that they didn't have before, at least that they knew of. "Hikari, sweetie, take Shippo to go see Grandma. Can you do that, baby?"

Hikari looked up at her with solemn eyes, then nodded. She grabbed Shippo's hand, then she looked around and grabbed Bantan's hand as well. He, in turn, took his mother's hand, the one that wasn't wrapped around his siblings. In a heartbeat, there was no one left inside of the barrier.

Kagome sighed with relief. It worked.

She felt lighter as she turned back to the battle. The odds seemed less overwhelming now that the children were safe. They would probably all be eating cake and watching cartoons by the time her first arrow hit its target.

"Where's the cubs?" asked Kouga as he ran to her side. He didn't have the shards in his legs anymore, but he was still the fastest demon she knew. "Ayame?"

"Safe."

He nodded, then leapt at an approaching demon. Kagome frowned at him. Ayame loved her mate dearly, Kagome hoped that Kouga was grateful for her. She hoped he loved her back. She had made peace with the role that was expected of her in their pack. There were very few female wolf demons, and in order to keep their clan alive, children would have to be born. Gaika was less than a year old, and it was obvious that Ayame would soon be adding another cub to their family. At least she had Hakkaku and Ginta to help her keep the kids in line.

She was a bit startled when a demon flew right into Kouga, knocking the wolf to the ground. Kagome looked in the direction he had come from and saw Inuyasha glaring at the wolf demon. It probably shouldn't amuse her that her dog demon was still prickly whenever Kouga stood too near her.

Ah, her beloved jealous hanyou. Oh how she loved him.

She let an arrow fly and cleared a path to her husband. With the children safe, she would fight alongside Inuyasha, who cracked his knuckles with a chuckle as soon as he saw the coast was clear and he could let loose without fearing he would somehow hurt or traumatize Hikari. She almost felt sorry for the demons who dared threaten the safety of her family.

Almost.

But not quite.

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"Surely you did not insult the niece of this Sesshomaru."

"Don't be stupid," snapped Inuyasha. He tried to control his temper, but it was always difficult when he was around his brother. Half brother, he amended. But he needed Sesshomaru's help. He was the only one he could turn to. Plus he swore to Kagome that he would be nice. Feh. "I said Hikari is a dog."

The hanyou lifted his arm, and Sesshomaru lifted an eyebrow.

A tiny little fluffy dog was hanging by her teeth on the sleeve of his robes, whipping her head back and forth to make herself swing. She noticed Sesshomaru and barked. The pup had a startled expression as she fell when she opened her mouth. The bark quickly turned into a cry. Not that she fell far. Kagome scooped her up before she hit the ground and scratched her ears while making cooing sounds. Two young demons had dove for the pup as well.

"Cute!" cried Rin happily from her place behind Sesshomaru.

"It's my fault," said the little monster of Kouga's who was responsible for this whole mess.

"No, it's mine," cried Shippo. "It's my fault! I'm so sorry Hikari!" The brat began to wail in misery. Served him right.

"Can Rin pet the puppy?" Rin asked Kagome, who smiled at her gently and let her touch the pup's head.

"No, it's my fault. I'm supposed to protect her." Inuyasha glared at the little monster. He was inclined to believe it was the wolf cub's fault. And he really wish Kagome wouldn't let people PET the pup!

"I AM! I'm her brother!"

"Nuh uh! You're a fox. She's a dog!"

"Shut up!" Shippo pounced on Bantan, and fists started flying.

"Explain." The word wasn't shouted, but everyone fell silent.

Bantan and Shippo both froze in place, each had a fist drawn back, though Shippo had his teeth in the wolf cub's right leg. It wasn't fair that Sesshomaru had that kind of power. He pointed to Shippo, and the fox kit began to whimper.

The pup squirmed out of Kagome's arms and bounced over to Shippo. She took a hold of his tail with her teeth and tugged. Then she let go and began to run circles around him. Shippo sniffled and wiped his nose on his sleeve. He picked up the puppy and hugged her close to his chest. Rin stood next to him and gently pet the pup's head. Having Rin next to him probably gave Shippo the courage to face Sesshomaru.

"Demons attacked. Lots of 'em. Hikari took us to..." He looked at Inuyasha, who narrowed his eyes in warning. Regardless of how much Kagome wanted Sesshomaru to be a part of their family, he wasn't quite ready to go telling him all their secrets. Obviously he knew about how she could disappear, that really couldn't be hidden, but there was no reason to tell him that she actually traveled time. Even if he suspected, he didn't know for sure. And Inuyasha liked it that way. Shippo gulped and nodded his understanding. "... she took us to her grandma's. HE..." he snarled and pointed to Kouga's son, "... and his brothers were so excited that they all took off in different directions. Hikari ran after them. I should have brought her back to her grandma's, but I followed her instead... all the way to the park." He started crying and buried his face in the puppy's white fur.

Kouga's son Bantan stood as tall as he could, as if waiting execution. Which might not really be that farfetched of an idea, come to think of it. "We were wrong. We should have stopped like our mama said. We never saw anything like the park before. It was new and exciting and we were wrong to go off alone."

"A man yelled as us," added Shippo, "And then he grabbed Bantan."

"And Hikari... she..." He looked down at the pup and started tears started streaming down his face. The puppy went over to him and started attacking his tail and racing around him. "She started snarling... then she... changed."

If Inuyasha hadn't known better, he'd almost think that Sesshomaru was trying not to laugh. But it was a well known fact that his older brother (half!) had no sense of humor.

"It would seem, little brother," Sesshomaru said with a sneer (he was certain it was a sneer!), "It would seem that your daughter is more of a demon than you." He looked at his niece as she started running in circles once more. "Though the form she chose... does not seem to be suited for fighting. Perhaps with time she will grow into a more appropriate demon form."

"We saw puppies like this not too long ago," Kagome told him. At least SHE had finally stopped crying. "They were very cute." She always had such a soft spot for all things cute. His own ears twitched. "Nihon Supittsu, I think they were called. She wanted one, so maybe that's why. Did you choose your demon form, Sesshomaru?"

Inuyasha cracked his knuckles angrily as Sesshomaru ignored his mate's question.

"We gave Hikari lots of love and attention when we went to fetch her from her grandmothers." Inuyasha swore Kagome snickered a little when she said 'fetch'. His mate didn't seem bothered that she was being ignored. But it was making him see red. "But she didn't change back. I thought that she would change back once the threat was gone and she was back safe and sound." He shook his head as Kagome giggled as Hikari attacked Bantan's tail. He had to admit, she was taking 'adorable' to a whole new level.

"Only the weak cannot change at will."

Yeah, this visit was going about the way Inuyasha thought it would go. If it wasn't for the petrifying fear that his little girl was going to remain a feral ball of floofy fluff, he'd show the jerk exactly which one of them was weak.

"Hikari. Change."

"You did NOT just talk to my pup like that," Inuyasha snarled. Hikari whimpered, her tail tucked between her legs. Using his foot and leg he pushed her back towards her mother. Things were going to get bloody.

"You shame your mother and father by your disobedience. You hurt your friends. Change back. Now."

"You're being a little rough on h..."

"Silence."

"NEVER speak to Kagome in that tone of voice. Ever." Inuyasha thundered as his sword swung in an arc. Hikari made a cute puppy. They'd find a way to make this work on their own without that jerk. No one. NO ONE talks to his family like that.

Hikari whimpered. Then the air buzzed with energy and she began to blur and grow. It happened so fast that when he blinked, where the little pup was there now stood a little girl with hair the exact color of his own. The ponytails had not survived the transformation, so her hair hung loose and hid most of her expression. But he could tell that her eyes and ears were both downcast, the sniffle broke his heart. She looked up at him with eyes the color of a stormy day, complete with drops of water.

Tears... he hated tears.

"I'm sorry, Mommy... Sorry, Daddy," she whispered. Then she broke out in tears and threw herself at him.

Inuyasha dropped to his knees and let his sword fall away. He held her as sobs wracked her tiny body, her hands holding on to his hair in tight fists. What was he supposed to say? Did he scold her for disobedience while she was already miserable? Did he tell her that it was okay, when it really REALLY wasn't okay that she disobeyed? Not only did she not turn back human when the asked (begged) her to, but she had ran off from the safety of her grandmother's home. Putting herself in danger was NOT acceptable. He made comforting sounds as he looked helplessly at Kagome. She was comforting Shippo, who also began to bawl. With a sigh she opened up her arm for that rotten brat Bantan when he started crying as well. When Kagome sniffled he knew he had to end this.

He pulled back, keeping his hands on Hikari's shoulders. He stared at her as she wiped her eyes, looking up at him in misery.

He looked to Kagome, hoping desperately that she would come to the rescue. But her own bottom lip was trembling, and he wasn't going to risk that turning into actual tears. Sighing heavily he sat on the ground in front of Hikari and grunted. It was difficult not to grin when she mirrored him.

"Hikari. Your mother and I love you very much. We are proud of you that you were able to take so many with you to keep them safe. But leaving your grandmother's house was dangerous. You could have been hurt. Shippo could have been hurt." He almost stopped there when her eyes filled with tears again and she told Shippo and Ban she was sorry in a voice that was barely a whisper. Unfortunately, the lecture wasn't over. It was torture. "I know when you changed it was fun..." his changes were never fun, but Hikari seemed to get a kick out of hers, "...but when your mother or I tell you to do something, you need to do it. Do you understand?" He would have demanded she apologize, but she already did that. So he gave her a kiss and picked her up, retrieving and sheathing his sword as he stood.

"I'm sorry, unca Sess." She held her arms out to him, but Inuyasha shifted her to his other hip. Purely because he didn't want her to be disappointed when "Uncle Sess" did not return her hug.

He turned to leave, but Kagome was standing behind him with her arms crossed. He looked at her curiously, then she looked over his shoulder at Sesshomaru, then back at him. He cringed. When she arched her brow, he reluctantly turned around and mumbled his thanks to his brother.

Sometimes he really hated "teaching by example".

Hey Pup,

You are a brave girl. And a loyal friend. I just hope your mom and I don't mess you up.

I don't know if you chose the demon form or not, but don't you let anyone ever tell you that smaller means weaker. Just ask your uncle Sesshomaru how he lost his arm.

I love you.

Daddy 

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Author's Note:

Thank you all for your reviews, they really do mean a lot to me. I know a lot of you have asked that I update faster, but I really do update when I can. I've been really sick and have had more doctor visits than I can shake a stick at. And I can shake a stick at a lot.

I've tried to reply to some of the reviews, but for some reason I couldn't get them to go through. One thing I wanted to remark on is that someone made mention that they didn't think that Inuyasha would call Sango's kids brats since they were all a part of his 'pack'. I figure since he calls Shippo a brat, and he's like a son to him, then he'd likely call Sango's kids brats too.

Also keep in mind that all this happens after the manga (I tend to use the books rather than the anime for inspiration). Years after. People, demons included, all grow and change. I did try to keep most of their personality, while keeping in mind the passage of time.


	17. Adventures in Babysitting

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha and Ranma 1/2 are all owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story (and Hikari) belongs to me.

Adventures in Babysitting

Dear Hikari,

Leaving you with a babysitter is one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. And that includes my mathematics final exams in school. And those gave me nightmares!

I feel guilty for leaving you. Scared something might happen when your father and I aren't there to protect you. Paranoid that I'm going to miss some important milestone in your life. The list of feelings of guilt, fear, and paranoia is long, but you get the picture.

My brave little girl... Don't forget that even if we have to leave you for short periods of time, you will always be in our thoughts and our hearts.  


Your Loving Mama  


"I'm not sure about this, Inuyasha..."

"She'll be fine."

"She'll cry for us."

"The book says it's normal."

Kagome stomped her foot angrily. "Ooooooh! I told you to ignore that book! Hikari is special and no book has a chapter on how to raise a little girl like her!"

"The book says..."

"Inuyashaaaaaa!"

Inuyasha sighed and put his hands on her shoulders. "We have to get her used to being on her own. She's going to start school soon, and I'd rather gradually get her used to it then have her suddenly feel like she was abandoned and alone in the world. You're the one who wanted her to go to school. I'm the one who said you were smart enough to teach her anything she needed to know."

Kagome's mouth closed and smothered her next complaint. Her husband rarely talked about it, but his own childhood haunted him. She sighed. She had to give him a break about the book. After all, who did he have to go to for tips on how to be a good father? At least she had her mother that she could ask questions and get advice from.

"You are being suspiciously mature about this," she grumbled.

Inuyasha sighed and took her hand and started walking towards the well. Hikari was already racing that direction with Shippo. The fox kit was already casting his illusion spell to hide his tail and ears, causing Hikari to pout.

"Your mother has been interviewing babysitters for three months now,"

"Three months?" Kagome was so startled, she tripped over her own feet. Inuyasha steadied her, then left his hand at the base of her spine as they continued to walk. Probably just in case she tripped again, but she wasn't going to complain. "Really?

"I gave her our list of babysitter requirements. She said she'd add it to her own."

"Mama made a list?" It was very surprising. Somewhere in the back of her head she had always supposed that her mother would babysit when they needed it. But she had started working, and would not always be available.

He nodded. "She's tough."

Kagome blinked. INUYASHA thought her MOTHER'S list was tough? Seriously? "When did you two compare lists?"

"Which time?"

Okay, now she was curious. "The first time."

"While you were in the bathroom throwing up."

"Uh..."

"You know, the first time we went to visit after we found out we were having a baby."

She blinked again. This time her feet stopped moving. "You guys compared babysitting lists while I was still pregnant?"

This time he was the one who looked surprised, and slightly insulted. "Of course. I started making MY list the day you told me."

Bemused by her husband's protective streak, Kagome followed him as he scooped up his daughter grabbed her hand, and the four of them jumped into the well. Hikari squealed to be let down as soon as the hanyou leapt out of the well in Kagome's time. She and Shippo started "racing" to the house. Shippo had an adorable fake run that cracked Kagome up every time she saw him use it.

Still glowing with warm fuzzy feelings for her thoughtful husband, Kagome almost missed the unfamiliar pair of shoes inside the door. It looked like the babysitter was already here. Strangely, Kagome felt very nervous. This person was someone that she was going to trust the most important being in the world to. Someone she was going to entrust the happiness, health, and safety of her only child to. Though she had contributed to the babysitting list (one of them, at least), she wasn't sure she covered all the bases. Sad to say, she was nearly itching to get her hands on Inuyasha's book to see what the experts said to do.

Kagome and Inuyasha poked their heads around the corner to get a look at the babysitter who made it through the three month long, apparently grueling, interview process. Hikari wasn't so shy. She giggled then ran to her grandmother and threw herself into her arms. Shippo, however, stayed behind her glaring suspiciously at the girl sitting nervously on the sofa.

When the girl saw them, she jumped up out of her seat and bowed to them. She was a pretty with short hair and a determined air.

"My name is Akane Tendo. It is nice to meet you. Thank you for entrusting your daughter to my care."

Inuyasha, who had seemed like he was taking everything in stride, was suddenly balking at the idea of leaving his daughter. He eyed the girl suspiciously.

"She passed the tests," her mother assured him. "Even the one for martial arts training."

Martial arts training?

"Oh please let me try!" Akane said. "My fiancé and I are thinking of having children some day," Kagome didn't miss that Akane shifted her eyes ever so slightly to the left... apparently the fiancé didn't know that they were thinking of having children some day... "And I have studied several child care manuals! I have extensive martial arts training, I have taken and passed first aid classes from our family friend Dr. Tofu, I have all the emergency numbers programmed to speed dial on my phone, and I have my resume, list of references, and criminal background check."

Kagome glanced at the very professional looking binder of information that Akane presented her. Then she watched as her mother checked something else off on her clipboard.

"I've submitted three proposals for outings for the time you'll be gone." Kagome took the three glossy full color tri-fold pamphlets from the girl. She wondered if Akane had thought to do these on her own, or if her mother made her do them.

The highlights of the pamphlet were:

Eating lunch out at Ukyo's for okonomiyaki

Storytime at the library at one o'clock.

Play time at the playground at the park.

Each activity had a paragraph explaining what they would be doing on the way to and from the activity and why each activity was chosen. There was also a section for all of her contact information, references, training, and certificates. Whoever this girl was, she certainly was prepared.

"I can do this! I won't fail!"

Kagome looked down at her daughter, who was studying the stranger. The little girl looked up at her, and suddenly Kagome couldn't bear to leave her daughter. No. Forget it. No babysitters. No way. She just couldn't do it. Kneeling down she gathered her daughter to her and held on tight.

"All okay," her daughter murmured as she pat her cheek comfortingly. "Mama be okay."

Swallowing the lump in her throat, Kagome loosened her grip and nodded. She couldn't speak. Hikari had been prepped about having a babysitter. She was to be mindful and respectful, but if the babysitter did anything to make her unhappy or hurt, she was to tell Daddy so he could solve the problem. Kagome hadn't agreed to that part, but apparently her daughter had made a pact with her husband. Kagome worried about just what "solving the problem" meant.

Akane bowed to Hikari. "I will do my best to make today fun."

"I like her."

And just like that, Hikari hired Akane Tendo to be her babysitter.

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"How do you set a stove on fire making toast?"

"Shhhh, Inuyasha," Kagome hushed him.

Inuyasha hid deeper in the shadows as he and his mate stalked the babysitter. They really had intended to go to the movies then go have dinner together somewhere, but after they had peeked in the window after he had picked up the scent of burnt toast, they decided that maybe they ought to just hang around for a few minutes.

Akane had put out the fire as if she had been putting out kitchen fires ever day of her life.

"How about we go to Ukyo's a little earlier?" she suggested as she replaced the fire extinguisher. "I'll leave a note explaining the slight alteration to the schedule." She looked around and grimaced. "Maybe we should clean up first..."

She may not be able to cook, but she was able to clean quickly. She turned it into a game for Hikari and Shippo. The kids seemed to enjoy the "game" of wiping the table as Akane zoomed around the kitchen cleaning and putting things in order. Kagome and Inuyasha groaned when Shippo's spell wore off without him noticing. Akane, however, noticed. The girl simply shrugged and kept cleaning.

The kids were quickly bundled up and out the door. Akane walked them around the house making sure every door was locked. When they started walking down the sidewalk, Kagome and Inuyasha followed silently from the rooftops. Yes, they had been looking forward to spending some time alone... but following the girl a little longer wouldn't hurt anything. Just to be sure.

Uh oh...

Inuyasha growled. Three young men were approaching them. Akane kept walking, but Hikari was growling and glaring at them. She held on to Akane protectively. Inuyasha couldn't sense any fear from either of the girls. In fact, the air seemed to shift around Hikari... a sure sign that the little girl was about to go into demon mode (albeit, an adorable demon dog mode). He would have to have a talk with Shippo about being more aware of strangers when out in public. The kit was still too enchanted and excited with this new world and was too busy looking around to notice danger.

When they stopped to block their path, demanding money, Inuyasha slipped Kagome off his back before flexing his claws menacingly. Good thing they decided to stalk her.

"Hikari, sweetie, look over there! There's a cute puppy!" As soon as Hikari turned her head (but not her ears... good girl, always on alert), Akane somehow kicked the young man so hard he literally flew into the air. Inuyasha let out a whistle. It was impressive. The punch the other boy got sent him crashing into a brick wall, knocking him out. The third simply ran like a coward.

"I like her," said Inuyasha. He felt his mate sigh beside him.

They followed them to Ukyo's where they ate okonomiyaki. Kagome called in an order to go from her magical "cell" phone when the smell became too mouthwateringly delicious. They followed them to the library where they watched Storytime from the window. They even followed them when Akane picked up Hikari and raced her to Dr. Tofu's after the little tripped and scrapped knee when they played at the park.

That was when Kagome agreed that she liked the girl as well.

They even followed them home after they stopped for ice cream (Inuyasha had gone in for two cones of the yummy treats for him and his mate while Kagome continued to trail them from a distance), just to make sure they got home safely. Once they were inside and the door was firmly locked (after Akane completely checked the house for intruders), Inuyasha and Kagome let out a sigh of relief. He saw a laughing Hikari wave to them from the window. They hadn't fooled the little girl at all.

"Ready to go?" Inuyasha asked his mate.

Kagome cringed after looking at her time keeping device. "Um... actually... we're supposed to be back here in less than twenty minutes."

"Oh..." Where had the time gone?

"I guess we could come home early..."

Ok, so the day hadn't gone exactly as planned. But at least he had almost twenty minutes alone with his beautiful mate. And he wasn't going to waste a single moment of it.

"Or we could be a little late..."

You did good, pup.

Daddy 

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Author's Note:

I don't know why it amuses me to use characters from Ranma in Inuyasha, it just does. Maybe because several of the voice cast members are in both animes, at least in the US versions.


	18. I HATE YOU

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story (and Hikari and all Kouga's kids) belongs to me.

I HATE YOU!

Dear Hikari,

One important lesson in life we all need to remember, is that words can hurt. Long after physical pain may be a memory, words will still haunt and hurt. 

When I was younger, I was careless with my words, and didn't know just how much they could hurt the ones I loved.  


I will always love you.

Your adoring Mama  


"I HATE YOU!"

The world stopped spinning and came crashing down around her as Kagome's heart broke. She had no breath as looked down at the stormy eyes, more gray than blue at the moment, and filled with fury. Her daughter's fists were clenched tight, her ears flattened back, teeth bared.

Her daughter hated her?

"HIKARI!" Inuyasha's tone was sharp as he dropped down from who knows where right behind Kagome, immediately wrapped in red as his arms protectively went around her. "Apologize. NOW."

Hikari's mouth snapped shut, teeth hidden behind tightly pressed lips. But her chin was raised defiantly.

"She doesn't mean it, Kagome," he whispered into her hair, but not letting her go.

She nodded, but couldn't get the words out. Biting her lip she tried to keep it from trembling. Kagome couldn't risk speaking, otherwise she would burst out crying. Her fingers shook as she held on to Inuyasha's arms. In her heart she knew that when they are young kids felt one emotion at a time. But nothing any "professional" could say could stop the pain.

"Look for the issue," Inuyasha quoted quietly.

For once, Kagome was glad that he had practically memorized that stupid parenting book. It meant she didn't have to talk. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Tears however, trickled down her cheeks. Her heart seemed to be beating too hard. She felt him kiss the top of her head.

"You were racing with those wolves again," he said, using the word "wolves" like a swear word. "Weren't you?" To Kagome he whispered, "She couldn't keep up and tripped."

"Ban helped her up... I saw. She was mad at him. Then he ran off."

"She told him she hated him, too." Then he quoted the book again, which made her smile a little. "Help your child recognize anger."

"I. Hate. Them." Ever word was a snarl. Then the little girl suddenly dropped into a squat, wrapping her arms around her legs and hiding her head with her knees.

Kagome tapped Inuyasha's arm gently. He loosened his grip so she could sit beside her daughter.

"Sweetie... you don't hate them."

"Yes. I. Do."

"You are angry with them. You're frustrated. I know how it feels to have everyone faster than you. I know what it's like to have my friends stronger than me. It..."

Hikari burst out in sobs and threw herself into her mother's arms. "Too slow! Too weak! NOT A BABY!"

Kagome couldn't help it, she started crying too. Inuyasha knelt beside them. "Give her the right words," he said. "I would but... well..."

"Not your forte... yeah, I know." She smiled at him, then smoothed her daughter's wild hair. "Hikari, its okay to feel angry. And it's okay to feel frustrated. But it's not okay to tell people that you hate them. Those are hurtful words."

"They used hurtful words first," growled Inuyasha.

Kagome took a breath. In her world, she would probably need to explain the importance of getting along and playing nice. But in this world... in this world where so many hated her precious daughter just because she existed... there had to be a balance. Inuyasha was right. Sort of. It was important that Hikari show no weakness, but also important that she learned how to behave properly to fit in BOTH worlds.

Why didn't anyone write a book on raising a child who time traveled and was part demon?

"The boys were wrong to tell you that you were too slow and too weak. They called you a baby because they knew it would hurt your feelings, which was not very nice of them. I know you are upset that they are faster than you. But you know what..."

Hikari looked up at her with watery eyes, now more blue than gray now that the storm had passed. "What?"

"...You have your own special gifts. Gifts that are amazing. Gifts that make you, YOU." She kissed her daughter's head. "And you will get faster and stronger as you grow."

"Wanna be faster now."

"I know, baby."

Inuyasha scooted closer. "Provide the child with calming techniques," he quoted. Then looked at Kagome with mischievous golden eyes. Yeah, calming techniques weren't his forte either. Then again, she had a temper herself.

Hikari looked from her father to her mother. Kagome sighed.

"When you feel angry, instead of saying you hate someone, count to ten, take a deep breath, or sing a song. Focus on something besides what is making you so angry so you can calm down. Then we can focus on figuring out what to do about what is making you so upset."

Hikari looked at her fingers and tried counting them.

"In this case," Kagome said as she frowned at the three young wolf demons who were watching from the woods. She made sure her voice was loud enough to be heard. "In this case, you could have told the boys that they were being very mean and rude. And that they should be ashamed of themselves."

Hikari stood up and dusted herself off. Kagome could tell by the gleam in her eyes that she was about to go challenge them to another race.

"Not so fast, kid," Inuyasha said as he towered over Hikari. "You owe your mother an apology. You hurt her feelings."

Hikari's eyes opened wide in horror. She spun around, as if just realizing that her mother had been crying. Her face crumpled as she burst into tears again and reached for Kagome. Kagome smiled as the little girl clung to her, crying that she loved her mommy and that she was the best mommy and that she was so so so very sorry.

Kagome was getting a bit concerned that the little girl was going to cry herself sick when she suddenly went silent. She leaned back in her mother's arms, looking into her eyes with a haunted look in her eyes.

"Ban... I said... I hurt Ban… his feelings..."

Inuyasha sighed then grumbled. "I'll go find him, then you can apologize to him too."

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The last thing he wanted to do was to encourage the little brat to play with his little girl. But Hikari seemed to prefer to play with the wolf cubs rather than the village kids. He understood why though. To the cubs she may be too slow and too weak... but to the human kids she was too fast and too strong. She had to be too careful when playing with the humans.

Finding the cub wasn't hard. All he had to do was follow the sniffling.

Great.

Wouldn't it just be easier to let Kouga handle this? Or Ayame? Or better yet, let the cub's heart break so he and his mangy wolf family would stay away. He never was too happy with having Kouga's spawn as his baby's playmates. What if they gave her fleas?

"Sh... she hates mmmm mm meeeeeeeeee!"

The wailing had to be stopped. Really it was the only reason Inuyasha decided to plop down next to the kid. The sound turned to disgusting wet sniffles, but it was better than the wailing, as soon as he noticed he had company.

"Hik... Hik... Hikari hates me..."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes up to the heavens and leaned back. He stared at the tree tops while he spoke. "A long time ago, someone I cared for very much told me that she hated me. She was very angry. And ... and it hurt."

It had hurt so bad he thought it might actually kill him. The fight had something to do with Kikyo. Of course, most of their fights in the beginning had really been about Kikyo one way or another. He never really did figure out what it was about that particular fight that made Kagome so angry. After all, she was the one who saved Kikyo.

"What... what happened?"

Inuyasha almost told him how he had demanded that Kagome take it back, but decided he probably shouldn't give the cub any ideas about being pushy.

"We made up," he said instead. "And were friends again by..." he bit off the words 'before we went to bed', because regardless of how innocent it actually was... it didn't sound like an appropriate thing to say. "...by the end of the day."

Ban sniffled again, this time wiping his eyes with his forearm. With as grubby as he was, it just made him look a little muddy. What, were the kids rolling around in the dirt? "I told them to stop being mean to her," he said sadly. "I tried to help her up. But she said she hated me." He looked up at Inuyasha with pleading eyes. "What did I do wrong?"

Inuyasha really wished Kagome was here to answer questions. He hated this. Besides, he had no idea. Women were a mystery. Even tiny young ones.

"I don't think you can talk them out of being mad," he admitted. "I think you just have to wait for them to be done being mad and hope she doesn't sit you."

"Huh?"

"Hikari doesn't hate you, kid. She's just mad and doesn't know what to do with all her anger. You were there, so you got blasted with it." He sighed heavily. Then reluctantly he stood up and grabbed the kid by his collar and drug him along behind him. "C'mon kid, Hikari has something she wants to say to you."

"She... she does?" Ban let himself be dragged, with made Inuyasha roll his eyes.

Inuyasha all but tossed the wolf demon cub at his daughter's feet. Unfortunately, before Hikari could get out her very contrite "I'm sorry", the brat launched into his own sobbing apologies. The dog demon covered his eyes as the moment of confusion passed and Hikari patted him on the head and accepted his apology with all the sweetness of the very angel of forgiveness. She then squat down beside him (he was still sniveling at her feet) and used the tail of her grubby shirt and wiped his face, then asked if he wanted to go play.

Inuyasha looked at Kagome, and she shrugged.

Before she could say anything, he took a deep breath and put his hands on her arms to turn her to face him.

"I love you, Kagome." He looked down at his wife, feeling slightly insulted at the startled look he got. But his heart warmed, as always, when he saw her smile. "I know I said a lot of terrible things to you when we first met. I hope you know that I never meant any of them."

"Inuyasha..."

He held her at arm's length when she tried to hold him. It was important to him that she knew he was serious. He wanted to look her in the eye and tell her.

"From the first day I met you I knew you were someone important. Your scent was unlike anything I've ever known. Yeah, we fought. But mostly because I was confused. You were confusing. I had never known anyone like you before. You accepted me. You didn't hate me or think I was some sort of freak. You trusted me. I didn't know what love was before you, Kagome."

"But... but...Ki..."

"No. I thought I did. But that's only because I didn't know what love was. What it really was. I protected you because instinctively I knew you were mine. I'm sorry for the terrible things I said to you. Sometimes I said them because I didn't know how to deal with my feelings. Sometimes I said them so you'd go home so you'd be safe. Sometimes I said them because I never had to worry about people's feelings before and just said whatever it was I was thinking. I'm sorry, Kagome."

He let his mate hug him close. "I'm sorry for the terrible things I said, too," she said. She stood on tip toes and raised her face. He kissed her gently. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Kagome. Forever."

She made a happy humming sound and put her head against his chest. It almost felt like purring when she did that.

"Well..." said Kagome as they watched the two kids go back to playing as if nothing had ever happened. "Do you think she learned anything?"

"Keh... yeah... that she has way too much power over that runt."

"Inuyasha!"

Hey Pup,

I love you more than you can ever know. But you aren't allowed to say "I hate you" anymore. Especially to your mother. It upsets her. That can't be tolerated.

Though... the wolves might deserve it...

Daddy 

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Author's Note:

With only a few chapters left I had to decide which parts of Hikari's life I wanted to share. Several ideas were started and discarded. Then I remembered one big traumatic event in a parent's life... the first time their child said they hate them.

There are only two chapters left. I already have them mostly plotted. Thanks for everyone's wonderful suggestions. I wished I could have used them all, but there weren't enough chapters. I am, however, thinking of doing a couple of one-shots involving Hikari if anyone is interested.


	19. Dear Baby take 2

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story (and Hikari and all the other children actually...) belongs to me.

Dear Baby

Dear Hikari,

You are my dear sweet angel, and I will always love you.

Things are going to be changing soon. I know it is going to be difficult, trust me, I know. So I'll need you to be brave and understanding.

And always remember how very much we love you. That will never change.

Your devoted Mama  


Kagome put the journal in her pack and waited until Hikari was off drawing pictures with Shippo before she approached her mate. Though what she was about to tell him would affect them all, he deserved to be the first to know.

"Inuyasha..." she touched his sleeve to turn his gaze from the kids to her. "...we need to talk."

Suddenly she had his full attention.

"I didn't do it," Inuyasha protested, "It was Miroku's idea!"

"No, it's not that. I had something I wa..." She stopped in mid word and her eyes narrowed suspiciously. "You didn't do what?"

"Talk about what?"

Her left eye twitched. Kagome debated on whether or not she should push to find out just what mischief he and Miroku had been up to, or if she should go ahead and have the talk she had planned. If he was blaming Miroku, it wasn't bound to make her very happy, and she didn't want to have this talk while talking to a hole in the ground where she had SAT him.

With great effort, the miko managed to push her curiosity to the side and smile at her husband. The way her mate cringed made her suspect that her smile wasn't as cheerful as she thought it was.

"I...er... hear a call for help!" he hanyou obviously lied through his teeth... and fangs. "I'll just go see if everything is okay and will be right back."

She would mangle her brother for teacher her mate that particular trick. Inuyasha must have seen her brother pull that trick on their mother one too many times. And the thing was, there was no way she could catch him in a lie. Besides, if her brother taught him right, he could technically NOT be lying if he heard so much as a ladybug calling for help. Or the call for help may have been himself.

"Good morning, Kagome," said Sango as she rewrapped the cloth around her infant son, Kichiro. Toutoi, only slightly older than Hikari, still stayed close to his mother. The little boy rarely wandered far from his mother, unlike his sisters. Suki was quite the... independent spirit, and her twin was rarely far behind. Poor Yuki. Kagome wondered if the girl would forever be apologizing for her sister and picking up after her.

Kagome was nearly bursting with questions for Sango on how she handled things with her own children, but she managed to keep her tongue. After all, she needed to talk with Inuyasha first. If she could find him.

"Do YOU know what Inuyasha and Miroku have been up to?" asked Kagome.

As expected, Sango froze in place, and an aura of danger surrounded her. "Explain." Pregnancy did NOT turn Sango into a sweet gentle soul. If anything, it turned her fiercer. Sango placed Kichiro in Kagome's arm, detached Toutoi from her skirt and told him to stay with Aunt Kagome, then stormed off with a growl that could rival any dog demon's.

She would have felt sorry for Miroku if he hadn't ruined all her plans.

"Mama?"

Kagome looked down into a pair of blue-grey eyes, practically twice their size. Hikari's most powerful weapon... puppy dog eyes.

With a sigh, Kagome sat on the ground. Without fail, whenever she held Kichiro, Hikari had a sudden need to sit in her mother's lap and be held. It was easy to forget that Hikari was still so young. Her vocabulary was far beyond her years, and her father's blood had her racing around with the speed and agility of kids more than twice her age. She, too, had an independent spirit.

"Everything okay, sweetie?"

"I love you, Mommy."

"I love you, too, Hikari."

Hikari looked at her thoughtfully. Then twisted her mouth and squinted an eye as she was trying to think of something else to say. In moments she started getting twitchy. Sitting still was not one of the little girl's favorite things to do. It was almost funny that she self imposed her most hated punishment (sitting still in one spot) out of jealousy.

"Do you want to say 'hello' to Kichiro?"

"No."

"He likes you, you know."

Hikari shrugged. She was only interested in the baby when Sango or Miroku was holding him. She wondered how Sango got her other children to not feel like the new baby was an interloper. Suki was as protective as the baby as if she were his ferocious guard dog (though not how she would say it out loud) and Yuki acted like he were her very own babydoll. Toutoi though... he rarely acknowledged the baby. How did Sango handle that?

"Ban!"

And just like that, Hikari went from cuddly baby, to playful pup sprinting across the field to tackle her favorite playmate. Shippo abandoned his drawings to guard her as Ban's brothers started poking their heads out of bushes. Kagome watched as Hikari darted this way and that, confusing the older brother into tripping himself up. She grinned. Looked like her little girl was learning how to use her size and agility (and lessons on being wily from her older brother) to her advantage. The play dates were sure to be more and more interesting as the kids grew older.

"We shouldn't be encouraging those mangy fleabags to play with Hikari."

"Inuyasha..." Nothing like wolf demons to bring her mate out of hiding, "...be nice."

"See! She just scratched her elbow! Fleas..."

Kagome laughed, she couldn't help it. "Wouldn't it be funny if both of them had a fondness for wolf playmates?"

"That's not funny." He cocked his head to the side. "Both of them? Shippo doesn't care one way or another about those stinkin' wolves."

Kagome took a deep breath, then turned to face her mate. Hadn't she been rehearsing what she was going to say as soon as she was certain? After the nervous hanyou nearly destroyed her mother's home with his impatience the last time they thought it was positive, they decided it would be best to find out first and THEN tell him.

She let out her breath and touched her belly.

"Inuyasha..."

Before she could say another word he had her wrapped in his arms. His heart was beating so hard and so fast she could feel it through his robes. He was trembling.

"Kagome... Are you... Are we...?"

She laughed again, holding him tightly.

"Yes, my love, we are going to have another baby."

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Kagome and Inuyasha took a step apart. They looked down into the furious eyes of their daughter. The fury turned to heart break, and the girl bolted.

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Inuyasha was grateful that Shippo had taken off after Hikari to watch after her. He had taken Kagome off to celebrate the good news, then set off to have a talk with his little girl.

A baby.

They were going to have another baby...

He was beside himself with joy.

And terror.

Hikari's birth had not been easy on Kagome. Would she survive another baby? He hadn't wanted her to go through childbirth ever again. He hadn't wanted to take the chance of losing her again. He was happy with one child. Hikari was the light of his life, he had never wanted more.

But another baby... two children. His family.

Keh, and no one thought he'd have even one!

Would the baby be another girl? Would Hikari like having a little sister? Suki and Yuki seemed to enjoy playing together. Maybe they would become the best of friends. A daughter...

Or would the baby be a boy? Kagome seemed to like having a little brother. He was barely able to muddle through being a father to a little girl... how would he teach his son to grow into a good man? A son...

Please, he prayed, please just let them be okay. Please let Kagome and the baby survive.

It wasn't difficult to find Hikari. He simply followed the heart breaking sound of her sniffles.

"Hey sweetheart."

Hikari curled into a tighter ball near the base of a tree.

"Come on, baby." He squatted down and held out his arms. As always, his heart warmed when his little girl ran into his arms and clung to him. He leapt up onto a large outhanging tree limb and got comfortable. "Big news... huh?"

She sniffled and nodded.

"You're going to be a big sister." He pats her head gently. "But you will always be my baby girl."

"I will?"

"Always." His ears perked up with inspiration. "Want to go to a trip to your grandma's house?"

He didn't have to ask twice. Grandma's meant chocolate chip cookies and strawberry milk. In the blink of an eye they were in Kagome's old living room. Souta screeched in surprise, making a bowl of popcorn go flying.

"Uncle Soda!"

"Hey pipsqueak!"

Souta brushed the popcorn off his pants and went to scoop up his niece and twirled her around. "You staying for dinner?" When Inuyasha nodded, Souta launched into a discussion of the newest video games that he had to show him.

"In a bit, kid. Going up to the attic."

"Sure! I'll let Mom know you're here? Is Kagome coming?"

"Feh."

"You didn't tell her you were coming? Oh man! I can't wait til she gets here! This is going to be great!"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes and took Hikari's hand.

"When your mom and I were younger, before you were born, before she and I were mates, she used to go to school. And not long before she was finished, she had this assignment about family. In a way, it was an assignment about you."

Hikari was wide eyed. "Me?"

"Yup." He opened up the attic door and put Hikari on the stairs to climb in front of him. His nose led him to the boxes that belonged to Kagome.

"She had this pretend baby that she had to take around. She had to pretend it was her real baby. Then she had to do all this stuff that was supposed to teach her how to be a good mom. We kept a journal... I mean, she kept a journal. And that's how we got the idea to keep a journal for you to read when you are older."

He opened the box, Hikari peering curiously inside, and found the old assignment folder.

"We took this pretend baby to stores to see how much babies cost. We took her to places that we would take our own baby one day. You." He pulled her into his lap and started showing her the different places they had taken the doll, and read to her parts of the journal Kagome had written. Leaving off the parts where she accused her teacher of trying to make her insane of course.

After they put everything back, they went back downstairs, where Kagome was waiting for them in the living room. Souta was sorely disappointed when there was no argument. Kagome just smiled at her husband and baby, and patted the spot beside her for Hikari to sit.

"I brought your journal," she told Hikari. "Your father and I have been writing in it since the very first day we knew you existed inside of me. Would you like me to read to you?"

Hikari nodded as she cuddled into her mother's side. Inuyasha sat on her other side and fluffed her hair.

"Dear Baby, I love you. I wasn't really sure how to start my first letter to you. So I figured I should let you know the most important thing first. I love you very much. And no matter what happens in life, you will always have your mother's love." She kissed Hikari's head. "I will always love you, Hikari. No matter what. And nothing, and no one, can change how much I love you. And the baby will love you too. You will be his or her big sister, like Shippo is your big brother."

Hikari worried her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Can we get the baby a journal too?"

You are going to be the best big sister the world has ever known, pup. I just know it.

Daddy 

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Hikari wasn't sure what she thought about a new baby. What if Mommy, and Daddy love the new baby and not her. What if Shippo didn't want to be her big brother anymore? What if wanted to be the new baby's big brother. Would they forget about her?

Suki said babies were nothing but trouble. They scream and cry and are smelly and wake you up all night long. Hikari didn't think that sounded like something she wanted in the house. But Yuki said they were sweet and adorable. Sigh. Sweet and adorable really didn't seem to make up for all the noise and smell though. Toutoi wouldn't talk about having a baby brother at all. Toutoi, Suki said, acts like a baby because he got replaced by a new baby.

Ban said he hated having so many brothers. He said they are bossy. But those are big brothers, not little ones. His little brother he said was a pest. Would a little sister be as big of a pest as Ban's little brother?

Her daddy always fought with his brother. But Mommy loved her brother, even though they teased each other.

Hikari didn't like getting teased though. And she didn't want to fight. And she didn't want to have a screaming smelly baby in her house and being a pest! She didn't want to be replaced! She hated the baby! She wished her mommy and daddy would take it back. She didn't want one!

"Hey."

Hikari didn't even know she was crying til Shippo started rubbing her face with the sleeve of his shirt. She hadn't asked Shippo. She wasn't sure she wanted to. After all... SHE was the little sister to him. What if he didn't want her? What if he never wanted her? What if he liked his new little sister more? Or if it was a little brother, would he never play with HER anymore?

"That's crazy!" said Shippo in a horrified voice. "I wanted you more than anything in this whole world, Hikari." He grinned, "Didn't know you were talking out loud, did you?"

"But I... I'm a pest..."

Shippo thought about it for a moment. "Sometimes. But so am I. Sometimes. It's what brothers and sisters do... pester each other. Doesn't mean we don't love each other." He held her at arm's length and stared at her in the eyes. "I don't know if you know this or not... but I'm a fox."

Hikari giggled and glanced at his poofy tail.

He took a deep breath. "And I have fox ears. You..." he said as he flicked one of her ears, "Have dog ears. So does Papa. And Mama has full human ears." Hikari stared at him. "Mama and Papa adopted me. I had a family before them, before you. They are gone now. I was alone and scared. Then Mama, Papa, and I became a family. When they told me that they were going to have a baby, that'd be you, I thought it was the most wonderful thing in the whole world. I loved you from that very moment. I knew that you were mine to take care of. Mine to teach. And mine to protect. You are MY little sister. MY family. And it's the most important, wonderful, amazing thing in the world."

"But... the baby..."

Shippo hugged Hikari. "You will always be my baby sister. And you and me will make a great big brother big sister team for taking care of OUR new baby brother."

"Or sister."

"Or sister," he agreed. "We'll be team Shikari!"

"Team Hippo!"

"What? No? Team Shiphik." Shippo brought out a new journal. "So... you ready to make the first entry?"

"Together?"

"Together!"

Dear Baby

Mommy and Daddy said I can be first to say hello to you. I am Hikari. I am your big sister. Shippo is our big brother. He's helping me write.

I will love you.

And you will obey me.

Sister

Author's Note:

Yikes, only one more chapter? Really? How is that possible?

Thanks for everyone's encouraging reviews. I really do love hearing from y'all.


	20. Meeting Inuyasha again

Disclaimer: The characters of Inuyasha are owned by Rumiko Takahashi, but this story (and Hikari and Ban and most of the other kiddos) belongs to me.

Chapter Twenty:

Meeting Inuyasha

"You WILL have her home before midnight." Inuyasha said in a voice hard enough to cut stone.

"Uh... sure," the boy said with a roll of his eyes.

Pretty stupid move. Inuyasha had the guy up against the wall with his feet dangling two inches off the floor between heartbeats. Kagome should have stopped him, but it wasn't very likely. Besides, if she was strong enough to do that, she would have done it too. What a rude young man! A little fear and respect would probably do him some good.

"Let. Me. Repeat. Myself."

"Yes, sir. Midnight. No problem." Repetition, once again, turned out to be unnecessary.

His feet slowly touched the floor again. He definitely looked nervous now. His eyes darted to the stairs then to the door. It was entirely possible he was planning to make a break for it. What was his name again? Kiba? Or was that the last guy? Suichi maybe? It probably wasn't terribly important. It was unlikely that there would ever be a second date. There never was.

"I want your name. Full name, none of this nickname garbage. Your car license number. Your telephone number. Your parent's telephone numbers. And five references." She wasn't sure why he wanted his name. After all, they had run a criminal background check on the guy.

"What?"

"NOW."

Inuyasha shoved a piece of paper and a pen at... apparently his name was Masato. The handwriting was a little shaky, but still legible. It was possible the hanyou wanted a DNA sample. He and Souta had been watching a lot of CSI shows lately. The guy looked completely unnerved when Inuyasha began sniffing him to memorize his scent.

"I will know if you have touched her in a way you shouldn't have," Inuyasha growled. Kagome had to turn her head to hide her smile. "And if I find that you have placed one hand in an inappropriate place, I will hunt you down. You do know the meaning of the word disembowel don't you?"

The young man gulped. Guess he did. He was a bit smarter than the last one. Poor guy had turned green as Inuyasha had described, in great detail, what it meant to be disemboweled.

"It's probably best not to touch at all…"

The boy nodded.

To his credit, Masato did not run away screaming into the night like a couple others had. He even managed something that resembled a smile when the sound of footsteps finally came down the stairs. She was in her prettiest red dress that swirled when she turned and her hair was intricately braided on top of her head. She was even wearing heels (which Inuyasha had made no secret to how he felt about such impractical footwear) and makeup. Just a touch of strawberry lipgloss and some mascara, just enough to enhance.

At the base of the stairs she twirled a pretty piourette to show off the skirt of her dress and matching shoes.

Kagome was glad she was dating... honest. But it was still a little scary. Ok, absolutely terrifying. The world was not a kind and gentle place, filled with far too many evil things. She was traveling where they could not protect her. ...unless they stalked her and watched from the shadows (... not that they did that... too many times since she started dating... okay okay every time so far).

But at some point they would have to stop stalking the dates and let her live her own life. Kagome just wasn't ready for that. And she knew Inuyasha wasn't.

"Masato," she greeted with a smile. Perhaps too mischievous of a smile for Kagome's peace of mind. That smile meant trouble. "You ready to go?"

She gave Kagome a hug, then lifting her head up to give a kiss to Inuyasha's cheek (leaving a strawberry scented print of gloss), then she turned to go with her very nervous looking date.

"Be careful, Hikari!" Kagome called.

How had her little girl grown up so fast?

It seemed like just yesterday she was holding her in her arms for the first time. She remembered everything so clearly. Hikari's first step. Her first word. Her first time traveling through time on her own leaving everyone terrified. Her first fight with a demon (she won... though she had resorted to Shippo style trickery, which was fine by her). Her first fight with a human (she lost... and it was the LAST time Inuyasha let her attend public school). Her first singing recital (and she COULD sing). Her first dance recital (...not so much...).

Kagome remembered the first time Hikari looked at her new baby brother. Hikari had been so uncertain, so afraid of the changing dynamics of the family. But all it took was a second, and her eyes changed from worried and scared to suspicious and protective. Suspicious, that is, of everyone and everything that came anywhere near Yoshio. To this day, Hikari was so overprotective that she would stand between her father and her brother if he got punished... even when he really deserved it. And that child made Shippo on his worst day seem like a saint. She loved him dearly, but he excelled at causing mischief.

"I don't like that kid."

"You don't like any of them, Inuyasha."

"Feh." He fidgeted, cracking his knuckles and bouncing impatiently on the balls of his feet. "See if your brother can keep an eye on Yoshio will you?"

"Souta is out on a date."

"What?" Her mate cursed her brother's thoughtlessness for having other plans when they needed him. "What about your mother?"

"Date."

"You're kidding!" He rubbed his hand over his eyes. Apparently her mother had slipped out without his notice. He mumbled something about tracking her down while they were out. "Well, what about the old man?"

"Grandpa said he wasn't babysitting Yoshio without having a week's notice for protection scrolls and spells preparation." Kagome held up her hand to stop Inuyasha's next words. "No. We aren't taking him with us. We will stay here and wait. We need to trust Hikari."

"She's just a baby, Kagome!" He wrung his hands in an endearing way.

Now it was her turn to roll her eyes. "She's smart, Inuyasha. Not to mention probably ten times as strong as the guy. And let's not forget that she has the ability to travel through time on her own if she needs to escape." On her fifteenth birthday they had deactivated the spell on their daughter's necklace, trusting her to not abuse her power. It was reactivated a month later... but eventually was deactivated again a little bit before her sixteenth birthday.

"Maybe I'll just check up on them a couple times... just to make sure they got where they are going safe. I don't trust those cell phones. And I don't trust that Masato guy. She's too young to be dating!"

Kagome laughed gently as she touched his arm. "May I remind you that her dating was YOUR idea?" And now Hikari was going to torture him.

"She was going to MARRY that wolf brat! She's too young to even THINK about marriage! And this was that stupid book's idea! Something about fish in the sea and kissing frogs and finding Mr. Right." The book on understanding your teenage daughter hadn't been as helpful to the hanyou as the book on babies.

Kagome patted Inuyasha's hand sympathetically. He was truly torn and distraught. She would give him a few more minutes to suffer before she took Yoshio to the past to spend the night with Sango and Miroku's family. His bag was already packed and sitting by the bone eater's well and their friends were already expecting him.

Hikari would grow older. One day she would marry and have children of her own. One day she would crave her independence and travel far from home, having adventures she would probably never tell her slightly over protective parents about.

"Come on, sweetie," Kagome said as she gave her mate a kiss, "Let's go stalk our daughter."

But til the end of time, Hikari would always be Inuyasha's baby.

ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

_The End_

ooOOooOOooOOooOOooOOoo

Author's Notes:

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews and encouragement. I appreciated every single one of them. You inspire me and make writing fun.

I tried to mirror Kagome's Baby as much as possible while still making this an independent story.

In my head there are many other adventures for Hikari, and one day I'll start writing them down for anyone who wants to read about them.


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